Collin County Living Well Magazine Winter 2013 | Page 10

Beginning in the early ’80s, Hanna’s passion, personality (and, we surmise, his good looks) caught the attention
of the media after he first appeared on Good Morning
America. “I never wanted to do TV, by the way,” he says.
But after a few guest appearances on high profile networks,
the newest leg of Hanna’s career––wildlife correspondent––
was set in motion.
Today, Jungle Jack’s logged 30 years introducing animals
from camels to koalas across the small screen and he still
appears on Good Morning America. He hosted Jack Hanna’s
Animal Adventures for 12 years before plunging Into the
Wild, his wildly popular show that showcases Jack and his
family’s adventures from Florida to Australia to Africa. He
often takes opportunities to showcase those who dedicate
their lives to providing shelter, rehabilitation, and refuge

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Collin County Living Well Magazine • Winter 2013

to wounded and endangered species. Plus, he’s landed
coveted guest appearance spots on popular shows such as
The Late Show with David Letterman, Larry King Live,
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, among others.
“The truth is, I do a lot of speeches, and you can learn a
lot from those. I can show you slides of a cheetah and give
you facts and you can learn something; but when I bring
in the live animal, and you actually see him, you remember
him,” says Hanna. And educating people ages 3 to 103 is
what fuels Jungle Jack’s momentum. Animals, he maintains,
carry the instinct to survive, “but they need our help.” And
showing them on TV reaches a broad audience who will
learn more about their lives, and their plights across the
continents.

Photo courtesy Jack Hanna

Between the time
when I was 11 to 16
years old, I was just
cleaning cages…
it’s amazing what
I’ve done since then,
and what zoos
have become.