Jack Hanna, a famous zookeeper and passionate animal rights advocate, is currently in the advanced phases of Alzheimer’s disease. In April 2021, Hanna’s daughters disclosed their father’s diagnosis publicly through a letter that was shared on social media by the Columbus Zoo. “His condition has progressed much faster in the last few months than any of us could have anticipated, 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,” the statement reads.
“A passion for wildlife conservation and education has been at the core of who our dad is and everything he has accomplished with the help of so many. He has spent his life connecting people and wildlife because he has always believed that having people see and experience animals is key to engaging them in more impactful conservation efforts,” they added. “Even though Dad is no longer able to travel and work in the same way, we know that his infectious enthusiasm has touched many hearts and will continue to be his legacy.”
Suzil Egil, Jack Hanna’s wife, says her husband is losing his memory due to Alzheimer’s
Hanna’s wife, Suzi Egil, recently shared updates about her husband’s condition in an interview with the Columbus Dispatch. “The river, the sun, Brassy, our walks… That’s what we have left. The Jack people knew isn’t here anymore, but pieces of my husband are,” she shared. “And I’m going to hang onto them for as long as I can.”
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“I want to hold on to these walks as long as I can. I remember the day this all officially started. The day the doctor told us what it was. I’ve just tried to hang on to the little pieces of Jack since then.”
“My husband is still in there somewhere,” Suzi admitted. “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.”
Hanna’s daughter says the family decided to share updates about Hanna’s health to help others
© PAX / Courtesy: Everett Collection
Hanna’s daughter, Kathleen, also reminisced about the challenges her parents endured when they chose to keep her father’s Alzheimer’s a secret. “He would have worked until the day he died. He only retired due to the Alzheimer’s,” she noted. “He was embarrassed by it. He lived in fear the public would find out.”
However, the family decided to share his health updates so as to reassure other families that are caring for relatives facing similar health challenges. “If this helps even one other family, it’s more than worth sharing dad’s story,” Kathleen confessed. “He spent a lifetime helping everyone he could. He will never know it or understand it, but he is still doing it now.”