The bond between man and animal is on display under the saddest of circumstances.

This heartbreaking photo captures a volunteer at the Rotterdam Zoo who’s dying of a brain tumor saying goodbye to a giraffe he had looked after at the zoo.

The man, identified only as 54-year-old Mario, had his request granted thanks to a group called the Ambulance Wish Foundation, which honors wishes from the terminally ill (you can learn more about the Ambulance Wish Foundation by watching the video below).

The organization posted the photo on its Facebook page. Shortly after that, it went viral after appearing on Reddit.

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