Saturday mornings, we used to gather around the television in preparation for cartoons and shows for the day. If you were like me, you'd wait in anticipation of two shows: Lake Charles' own Pet Playhouse and then Jack Hanna's Wild Countdown. The show was actually one of four Hanna starred in throughout his career.

From Knoxville, Tennessee, Hanna was around animals most of his life. He would go on to operate his own petting zoo then ultimately become the ambassador for animal conservation, basing himself out of the Columbus Zoo. Hanna found his niche in public relations not only for the zoo but for all animals. Hanna's public appearances started in the late '70s and blossomed as he went on to star in three syndicated television shows, public events, and various talk shows.

In June 2020, Hanna announced his retirement from the Columbus Zoo effective at the end of the year. Now, Hanna's family has an even more devastating announcement to share with his fans. The family announced recently that the 74-year-old jungle man has been diagnosed with dementia. The diagnosis and the fact that his condition has worsened over the past months means we may never hear from "Jungle" Jack again.

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