The family of legendary zookeeper Jack Hanna has offered a tragic update as to his condition as he battles Alzheimer’s.
According to reports, the animal TV show host “lived in fear the public would find out” after he was diagnosed with dementia in October of 2019. Ultimately, the 76-year-old’s family were left with no option but to break the news to the public in 2021.
Sadly, they now say that Hanna’s condition has progressed to the point where he doesn’t understand he has Alzheimer’s, and can no longer recognize most of his family.
He made a career out of being an animal expert and educating others as to the importance of conservation, winning five Daytime Emmy Awards in the process, but the past few years have been tough indeed on Jack Hanna.
The celebrated celebrity zookeeper was diagnosed with dementia in October 2019, though the public weren’t made aware until two years ago. In fact, as per a new interview with Hanna’s wife, Suzi, 75, and eldest daughter, Kathaleen, 54, he made the rest of the family swear not to tell anyone about his diagnosis.
Speaking to the Columbus Dispatch, Suzi reflected bitterly on the moment she was forced to break her vow. “It killed me to break that promise,” she said.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Hanna was named director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo in April 2021 after retiring from public life. When a documentary titled “The Conservation Game” was released that same year, however, his name and association with the zoo was besmirched in an “animal prisons” controversy.
In the midst of the scandal, pressure fell upon Hanna to make a statement – which, of course, he was in no suitable position to do given his condition. In a bid to protect his legacy, his family was left with no choice but to make his diagnosis public knowledge.
“He just kept saying, ‘Sue, you told them, didn’t you? You promised me Sue, you promised,’” Suzi revealed in the interview with Dispatch.
“It would have broken Jack’s heart to hear what was going on at the zoo. If we had tried to tell him, he wouldn’t have understood.”
According to the LA Times, Hanna’s symptoms first appeared back in 2017, though he wasn’t officially diagnosed until 2019. Tragically, his family say he now struggles to identify them, and only recognizes his wife, Suzi, his dog Brassy, and sometimes his eldest daughter, Kathaleen.
“My husband is still in there somewhere,” Suzi told the 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.”
She added: “The Jack people knew isn’t here anymore, but pieces of my husband are. And I’m going to hang on to them for as long as I can.”
Here’s to wishing the iconic Jack Hanna all the best moving forward. He remains in our thoughts and prayers.
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