Family of Jack Hanna reveals beloved zookeeper's Alzheimer’s diagnosis

The family of Jack Hanna, the legendary animal advocate and talk show guest, revealed in a new interview that the beloved zookeeper has Alzheimer’s disease. Hanna rose to national prominence during the 1980s for facilitating animals crawling on David Letterman and Johnny Carson. Two years ago, though, the family announced that Hanna was diagnosed with dementia and would recede from public life. Tragically, the disease’s rapid progression has stripped much of Hanna’s memory, including knowledge of his family, his past, and his Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

“My husband is still in there somewhere,” Hanna’s wife Suzi told The Columbus Dispatch. “There are still those sweet, tender moments—you know, pieces of him that made me and the rest of the world fall in love with him. It’s hard. Real hard some days. But he took care of me all those years, and so it’s my turn to take care of him.”

Hanna’s memory is fading, including knowledge of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, where he worked for 40 years and made one of the most renowned animal houses in the country. He hoped to keep the fact quiet. According to The Dispatch, Hanna’s wife promised him that she would keep his diagnosis secret, only breaking this vow now in hopes of helping the millions of other Alzheimer’s patients.

“If this helps even one other family, it’s more than worth sharing dad’s story,” Hanna’s eldest daughter Kathaleen said. “He spent a lifetime helping everyone he could. He will never know it or understand it, but he is still doing it now.”

The family shared Hanna’s condition on Twitter, stating that they hoped the profile would give readers a “real-world look into living with Alzheimer’s.”

Hanna grew in popularity through appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Late Night With David Letterman, and Good Morning America. He also hosted several TV shows, including Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures and Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown.

“The showman is still in there somewhere,” Suzi said. “Jack loved making people laugh as much as he loved taking care of animals.”