Bio
Jack Hanna is an American zoo keeper who is the Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. He was Director of the zoo from 1978 to 1993.
"Jungle Jack" Hanna is a conservationist, author, television personality and lifelong adventurer. In 1978, Jack was named director of the Columbus Zoo. The zoo was struggling and in need of rejuvenation when Jack arrived and transformed it into a state-of-the-art establishment.
With Jack’s keen eye for what the public wanted, Columbus Zoo began to see an increase in visitors.
Armed with knowledge of the animals he loved, Jack created his own nationally syndicated television program, Jack Hanna's Animal Adventure.
He has made countless television appearances since 1983 on shows such as Good Morning America, Larry King Live, Ellen, Fox News and the Late Show with David Letterman.
Author of seven books and counting, he is also an active supporter of the Leukemia Society, Partners in Conservation, the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project and the SeaWorld Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.
In 2007 he accompanied actress Natalie Portman to the rainforest of Rwanda to shoot a documentary for Animal Planet's Saving a Species series, entitled Gorillas on the Brink.