Section
Pepperdine Links
Online Publications
Jack Hanna and his love for animals appeals to many young children, but his enthusiasm for wildlife is one that even college students can appreciate.
Tonight, Hanna will speak on “Going Wild for Wildlife” at 7 p.m. in Smothers Theatre as part of the Seaver Dean’s Distinguished Lecture Series.
While Hanna will focus his lecture mostly on his wildlife adventures, he said he is excited at the prospect of being able to reach out to a large group of students interested in the environment.
“I enjoy going to colleges and talking to young people who are interested in the environment and our animals,” Hanna said. “College students are at the age where they can make a difference in our world and how we treat the environment.”
The Seaver dean also saw in Hanna a rare, credible television personality with a genuine conservation message for the environment, said Seaver Associate Provost for Research Dr. Lee Kats. Kats was one of the main advocates for Hanna being on the lecture series.
“We hope that students will see his enthusiasm for wildlife and his qualifications as a great role model,” Kats said. “Most people have the preconception that science people are very dry, and Hanna is an example of how they can have personality and be funny.”
During his presentation, Hanna will discuss his recent trips to Australia as well as his upcoming excursion to Rwanda to document mountain gorillas. He plans to show videos, talk about different animals that he has worked with and show clips of several “bloopers” of funny things that have happened to him while working with wildlife. Hanna’s presentation will also include several live animals, including a baby kangaroo, python, a type of monkey called a kinkajou and a bearcat from Asia called a binturong.
He said he also hopes that through is presentation, he can relay to his audience an important lesson that he learned as a young boy.
“My dad taught me three words as a young boy growing up in Tennessee: hard work and enthusiasm. If you have those two things, you can do anything you want, and love what you do,” Hanna said.
Also known as “Jungle Jack,” Hanna’s passion for animals started in his hometown of Knoxville, Tenn., where as a young child he raised goats in his backyard and bluebill ducks in his family’s bathtub. After graduating from Muskingum College in Ohio with a degree in business, Hanna and his wife Suzi opened a pet shop and petting zoo before he became the director of the Columbus Zoo of Ohio in 1978, where he served until 1993. During his 15 years as director, Hanna increased the yearly attendance of the Columbus Zoo from 360,000 in 1978 to more than 1.4 million in 1992.
He now serves on the boards of several educational institutions and is a regular guest on television talk shows such as “The Late Show” with David Letterman, “Larry King Live” and “Good Morning America.” Hanna has served as the director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo since 1993 and continues to promote the zoo nationally.
Hanna said deep love for animals and numerous years observing animals as both a zoo director and a television host brings him to believe that besides protecting animals, it is also important to realize there is something that society can learn from animals.
“Animals don't abuse their young, waste resources, or kill each other’s mates. When we can come to understand and learn from animals, we will all be better off,” Hanna said.
Hanna hosts the popular television show “Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures,” which reaches about 95 percent of U.S. households each weekend and is aired in more than 60 countries. Hanna’s show, which has been on air since 1997, produces 26 episodes each year and visits animals in countries all over the world such as Costa Rica, Panama, Kenya and Alaska.
Submitted 09-29-2005
MALIBU, CA
