The Columbus Dispatch
Jack Hanna, one of the world's most celebrated zookeepers and star of TV shows like "Jack Hanna's Into the Wild" and "Jack Hanna's Wild Countdown," has been diagnosed with dementia, now believed to be Alzheimer's disease, his three daughters announced in a letter Wednesday.
Hanna, the 74-year-old internationally-known director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, has spent more than four decades in the public eye putting Columbus, Ohio, and its zoo's conservation efforts on the national stage. He officially retired from his role as the zoo's spokesperson in December 2020.
Now, Hanna's daughters — Kathaleen, Suzanne and Julie — say their dad is unable to participate in public life like he once did as his condition has severely worsened in the last few months.