"He did it in a goofy way, and it was kind of paradoxical how it happened," said Winstel, who is now 66. His media appearances, particularly with Johnny Carson, D Jack Hanna's antics on TV put Columbus Zoo in national spotlight, Columbus Zoo's animal ambassadors bring need for conservation efforts to life. They're always forgiving of other people's mistakes, which at times can translate to naivete and gullibility. "The people are what make the Columbus Zoo.". Jack Hanna. I find it disgusting his own zoo is not secure. "After a few years, every zoo wished they had Jack," Winstel said. The zoo also offers Zoombezi Bay water park and Jungle Jack's Landing, an amusement park. Now 81, Hanna continues to operate his one-man barbershop at 116 E. Justis St. Stalf joked that you'll never see him walking around in khakis and a safari hat. He hasn't outgrown Columbus, even though he easily could have, said Brian Ross, the president and CEO of Experience Columbus, the city's tourism and convention bureau. "That's where Mr. Hanna excels.". Others in the zoo profession agree with that approach. "That's perfectly fine, as long as I have an opportunity to speak about Jack's legacy and his passion for animals. Hanna quickly learned the scope of his challenge. [Adam Cairns / Dispatch]. Just a handful of accredited zoos and aquariums in the U.S. welcome more visitors, according to self-reported data from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. They're instead focused on continuing his mission and ensuring that his legacy lives on. Staff members tell him to slow down, both to preserve his health and so he can enjoy things outside of work, including his six grandchildren. Another renovation, Adventure Cove, is set to open in 2020 near the zoo's entrance. The real Jack is alive and kicking. He solicited donations to improve animal enclosures, even through some unusual means — such as taking a trained chimpanzee named Emily to wealthy businessmen to deliver a letter asking them for money at Christmastime. He has also appeared on several television shows. Despite a busy schedule, it's a responsibility Hanna takes seriously. Perhaps even crazier: Hanna's strategies eventually worked, bolstering the zoo's reputation locally and worldwide. Instead of having one iconic spokesperson, zookeepers everywhere can work together every day to continue conserving wildlife, Hansen said. But it was one of many that signaled change was coming to the Columbus Zoo in the late 1970s, when 31-year-old Hanna arrived from Knoxville, Tennessee, determined to put the foundering Columbus Zoo on the map. Jack Hanna, in full Jack Bushnell Hanna, byname Jungle Jack, (born January 2, 1947, Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.), American zoologist who served as director of the Columbus (Ohio) Zoo (1978–92) and became a well-known animal expert through his frequent television appearances. As the host of three nationally televised programs (Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild, Jack Hanna’s Wild Countdown and Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures), you could say Jack Hanna is a busy man. Jack is a very nice man and so were the crew and his family.” The show is scheduled to air sometime in May or June. Now on the CW! Like many zoo animals of that era, the primates were kept in indoor enclosures and had no contact with the outside world. He rarely turned down an opportunity, even a woman's plea to rescue a cat trapped on a concrete ledge of the O'Shaugnessy Dam, near the zoo, in 1979. “My brother’s legacy is being an inspiring, fun-loving guy who other people wanted to be around. At a surprise "Hanna-versary" celebration in June attended by 370 guests, officials announced they'd already collected $1.5 million to support the fund. Hanna was often as unpredictable as the animals he brought on TV, with "far-out" ideas requiring a little reigning in, recalled Norma Dodge, 93, whose late husband, Mel Dodge, a former Columbus Recreation and Parks director, hired Hanna in 1978. It was the first of many renovations that gave the zoo's animals more accommodating, natural-looking habitats, a growing trend. It was the first program to bring wildlife into the homes of viewers, including Hanna, who watched it as a teen. In 1978, about 358,000 people visited the zoo. They have three children. "I'm sure he's inspiring young people today, just as Marlin did to us," he said. He said people like Perkins and Hanna have made being a zoo director an honorable profession. Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. "He said, 'To inspire people to care about animals, you need to be an expert, and the only way you can be an expert is to go see the wild,'" Stalf said. “You want to be able to go up and talk to a lion or something, but if he’s hungry, you’re lunch. Hanna "shook things up," and did it with infectious enthusiasm, said Winstel, who retired as assistant director of the zoo in 2008. And used to be a lot slimmer when he was young. We are sad Jack Hanna is retiring from the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium but we are loving these stories and memories he is telling us like shooting a man out of a cannon over the Tiger exhibit, the change he made in the "Heart of Africa" and more. "It means it has spread out.". If you have ever seen Jack Hanna do a guest spot on a TV show, you have seen the excitement he shows whenever he has animals around him and is especially excitement to share information about them in a way that people remember and love. “I have never heard anyone in my family say one bad word about Jack Hanna, ever,” Seth said. He measures around 185 cm, which is 6 feet and an inch tall, a very good height indeed. There is much more to Jungle Jack Hanna than the man you see on David Letterman and his outspoken advocacy on animal conservation. Follow me on twitter! It was a good time. Jack Hanna! John Bushnell "Jack" Hanna (born January 2, 1947) is an American zookeeper who is the Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. And it collects $4 million in donations annually to send to more than 70 conservation projects worldwide. He was just a really nice guy.". Doesn't exactly … Jack Hanna is a zookeeper from the USA who serves as the director of Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The zoo has grown considerably in size and reputation since Hanna first arrived. Charles H. Hoessle, 87, director emeritus of the St. Louis Zoo, was hired by Perkins as a reptile keeper in 1963. Hanna's international stardom spring-boarded from his zany TV appearances with animals in the 1980s. A slim and athletic person, he last had a body weight of 80 kg. Hanna stepped down from the Columbus Zoo's top job in 1992 to become director emeritus and focus on public appearances and his TV career. Hanna said he'll continue to support the Columbus Zoo as long as he can, but whenever his time comes, its successes will certainly continue without him. “Jack Hanna is a natural person, and that’s something I would like to do,” said Dan Webber, of Leesburg. So who will inspire the next generation of zookeepers and promote the Columbus Zoo after Hanna's time in the spotlight is over? People born under this sign are nice and good-mannered. Some, such as bringing ambassador animals into the community or hiring entertainers to walk a tightrope over tigers (which happened only once, in 1982), drew criticism from others in the zoo industry. He currently has three daughters and six grandchildren. When Hanna started, it had less than half as many animals and only about 90 acres of land. Check your local station guide for details. Last year, the zoo welcomed 2.3 million visitors. Jack Hanna’s birthstone is Garnet. He never let his life be defined by losing an arm. Even people he encountered during his first trip to central Ohio, to interview for the position, didn't realize Columbus had a zoo because its reputation was so poor, he said. You can see some of his pictures from the past when he used to have long hair and a charm ion his face. In his first year, Hanna collected enough funds to renovate an old, unused elephant exhibit into a state-of-the-art outdoor habitat for the gorillas that opened in 1979. 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