Jack Hanna, the zookeeper famed for his appearances on David Letterman’s late night shows and Good Morning America, is battling an advanced stage of Alzheimer’s disease.
Hanna’s wife Suzi detailed her spouse’s health issues in an extensive piece published Wednesday in The Columbus Dispatch.
Hanna, 76, who was the director for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium from 1978 to 1992, was initially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in October of 2019, and his family – Suzi and daughters Kathaleen, Suzanne, and Julie – told the paper that his condition has gone from moderate to advanced.
According to Hanna’s relatives, he can currently only remember Suzi, his wife of 54 years; his dog Brassy and his oldest daughter Kathaleen.
‘The Jack people knew isn’t here anymore, but pieces of my husband are,’ Suzi told the paper. ‘And I’m going to hang onto them for as long as I can.’
The latest: Jack Hanna, the zookeeper famed for his appearances on David Letterman’s late night shows and Good Morning America, is battling an ‘advanced’ stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Pictured in NYC in 2017Â
His daughter Suzanne said, ‘He just stopped remembering who I was in all ways. Whether it was in person or by phone, he had no idea I was his daughter,’ adding, ‘I think it’s because he didn’t see me as much because I got married so young and I moved away.’
Suzi said that Hanna’s daily routine includes medications and a two-mile walk they take together.
‘I want to hold on to these walks as long as I can,’ she said. ‘I remember the day this all officially started. The day the doctor told us what it was. I’ve just tried to hang on to the little pieces of Jack since then.’
She told the newspaper, ‘My husband is still in there somewhere. 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.’
Suzi said that taking care of her spouse has been ‘real hard some days … but he took care of me all those years, and so it’s my turn to take care of him.’Â
Kathaleen was emotional as she discussed her father’s withdrawal from the limelight – he retired from his conservation work in 2020 – as the family sought to keep his Azheimer’s diagnosis private.
‘He only retired due to the Alzheimer’s,’ Kathaleen said. ‘He was embarrassed by it. He lived in fear the public would find out.’
Kathaleen said Hanna ‘would have worked until the day he died.’
The TV personality’s family his – wife Suzi and daughters Kathaleen, Suzanne, and Julie – said his condition has gone from moderate to advanced
Hanna, 76, who served as the director for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, was initially diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in October of 2019Â
The Knoxville, Tennessee-born Hanna has shared his expertise and brought exotic animals onto many shows, most famously Letterman’s a total of 93 times
Hanna appeared on 68 episodes of the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS from 1993-2015
The charismatic zookeeper had Letterman on the edge of his seat with a reptile pal he broughtÂ
Kathaleen said that the family was coming forward about Hanna’s health to spread awareness for other families in a similar situation.
‘If this helps even one other family, it’s more than worth sharing dad’s story,’ Kathaleen told the paper. ‘He spent a lifetime helping everyone he could.
‘He will never know it or understand it, but he is still doing it now.’
Suzi said she’s refrained from relying on home health care providers when their daughters are not available to be present.
She said she told her children: ‘I just want it to be your dad and I for as long as I can. The river, the sun, Brassy, our walks … that’s what we have left.’
In April of 2021, Hanna’s daughters opened up about the Alzheimer’s diagnosis in a statement on the Columbus Zoo’s social media.
‘His condition has progressed much faster in the last few months than any of us could have anticipated,’ his daughters said. ‘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 added: ‘While dad’s health has deteriorated quickly, we can assure you his great sense of humor continues to shine through. And yes – he still wears his khakis at home.’Â
Hanna was pictured with actress Drew Barrymore at a 2016 event in LAÂ
He carried a rare serval cat as he posed next to Katie Holmes on the NYC set of Good Morning America in 2017Â
The Knoxville, Tennessee-born Hanna – nicknamed ‘Jungle Jack’ – has shared his expertise and brought exotic animals onto many shows, most famously Letterman’s a total of 93 times.
He appeared on 25 episodes from NBC’s Late Night with David Letterman 1985-1993; and on 68 episodes of the Late Show with David Letterman on CBS from 1993-2015.
He has also shared his expertise on 39 episodes of ABC’s Good Morning America from 1990-2019.
Hanna also made appearances on talk shows including Piers Morgan Live, Maury, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Late Late Show with James Corden.
He also had his own syndicated shows, starring on 162 episodes of Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild from 2007-2020; and on 156 episodes of Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown from 2011-2020.Â
