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55KRC: Jack Hanna and Alzheimer’s disease
Jack Bushnell Hanna, a retired American zookeeper and a former director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, was recently diagnosed with dementia and what is now believed by his family to be Alzheimer’s disease.
Hanna often appeared on “Good Morning America,” “The Tonight Show,” “Late Show,” “Late Late Show,” “Larry King Live,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “Maury.” He also hosted his own weekly TV programs, including “Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures,” “Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild,” and “Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown.”
Rhonna Shatz, DO, adjunct associate professor at the University of Cincinnati and a memory disorders expert with UC Health, was a guest on Simply Medicine, 55KRC, discussing the condition, prevention and possible treatments.
Jack Hanna diagnosed with dementia
By Sheridan Hendrix - The Columbus Dispatch
Wildlife advocate Jack Hanna poses for a portrait Oct. 12, 2015, with a serval cub in New York. The family of celebrity zookeeper and TV show host Jack Hanna said he s been diagnosed with dementia and will retire from public life. (Photo by Dan Hallman/Invision/AP, file)
Jack Hanna has been diagnosed with dementia, now believed to be Alzheimer’s disease, Hanna’s three daughters announced in a letter published Wednesday afternoon.
Hanna the 74-year-old internationally known, khaki-loving director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium has spent more than four decades in the public eye putting Columbus and its zoo’s conservation efforts on the national stage.
Famed Animal Expert Jack Hanna Diagnosed with Dementia
April 8, 2021 Jack Hanna, the director emeritus of Ohio’s Columbus Zoo and Aquarium known for his many TV appearances, has been diagnosed with dementia, his family announced Wednesday in a post on Twitter.
His condition is now believed to be Alzheimer’s disease, the family wrote. Hanna, 74, announced his retirement last year.
“His condition has progressed much faster in the last few months than any of us could have anticipated,” his daughters Kathaleen, Suzanne and Julie Hanna wrote in the letter.
“Sadly, Dad is no longer able to participate in public life as he used to, where people all over the world watched, learned and laughed alongside him,” they wrote.
The family of celebrity zookeeper and TV show host Jack Hanna said he s been diagnosed with dementia and will retire from public life. Photo: AP
Celebrity zookeeper and animal TV show host Jack Hanna has been diagnosed with dementia and will retire from public life, his family said.
In a news release Wednesday (April 7), his family added that it’s believed he now has Alzheimer’s disease that has quickly progressed in the last few months.
The 74-year-old Hanna was director of the Columbus Zoo from 1978 to 1992 and still serves as its director emeritus.
“Dad advocated for improved wildlife habitats and focused on connecting the community with animals,” the statement signed by his three daughters said. Hanna continued to be a spokesperson for the Ohio zoo until he retired in 2020.