Jack Hanna’s Family Offers Update Amid Zookeeper’s 'Challenging' Battle With Alzheimer’s

Jack Hanna’s family shared an update amid the famed zookeeper’s battle with Alzheimer’s. Hanna was diagnosed with the neurological disease, which erodes memory and other important functions, in October of 2019. However, his condition wasn’t revealed until 2021, when Hanna’s daughters shared the diagnosis in a statement released by the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, where Hanna formerly served as director emeritus.

"His condition has progressed much faster in the last few months than any of us could have anticipated," Hanna’s family said in April ‘21. "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."

Unfortunately, it seems that Hanna’s condition has deteriorated rapidly in the few years since the announcement.

“We wish we had good news to share, but Jack continues to decline and has all the symptoms one would anticipate with advanced Alzheimer’s,” his family told People on Friday. “Each day, we do our best to find joy—even when things are challenging.”

The statement concluded: “We hope that sharing Jack’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s brings awareness to the disease that affects almost 7 million Americans and their families.”

Hanna is an animal expert and former wildlife sanctuary worker who rose to fame through talk show appearances in the early 1980s, where he was often accompanied by an animal or several. He eventually graduated to frequent guest spots on Hollywood Squares and hosted several series of his own, including Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures, Jack Hanna's Into the Wild, and Jack Hanna's Wild Countdown.

Hanna’s wife of nearly 50 years, Suzi, told The Columbus Dispatch in 2021 that Hanna struggled to recognize anyone besides her, his dog, and their eldest daughter.

“The Jack people knew isn't here anymore, but pieces of my husband are,” Suzi told the outlet. “And I'm going to hang onto them for as long as I can. 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.”