Monkeys on the Interstate, 1989, by Jack Hanna

Jack Hanna (b. January 2, 1947, Knoxville, Tennessee), nicknamed "Jungle Jack", is Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo. He was Director of the zoo from 1978 to 1993, and is viewed as largely responsible for elevating its quality and reputation. His media appearances have made him one of the most well-known and well-liked animal experts in the United States, instantly recognizeable in his khaki safari outfit, deep tan and shaggy hair. cover scan of Monkeys on the Interstate, 1989, autobiography of Jack Hanna This image is a book cover. ... cover scan of Monkeys on the Interstate, 1989, autobiography of Jack Hanna This image is a book cover. ... January 2 is the 2nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Knoxville is a city located in Knox County, Tennessee, United States. ... The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a zoo located in Powell, Ohio, just north of Columbus. ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003) Events Media:January January 1 - Czechoslovakia divides. ...

Hanna developed his love for animals growing up on his father's farm outside Knoxville, and volunteered for a veterinarian when he was 12. He majored in business and political science at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, where he got in trouble for keeping ducks in his dorm room and a donkey in a shed behind his fraternity house. His senior year, Hanna married Suzi, a cheerleader at Muskingum, and graduated in 1969. Though unable to secure zoning as a zoo for his father's farm, the two opened a pet shop and petting zoo. In 1973, a three-year old boy was mauled by a lion at Hanna's farm and lost his arm. Hanna settled the subsequent lawsuit out of court, shut down the petting zoo, and moved his family to Florida. He then worked for a wildlife adventure company and directed the small Central Florida Zoo from 1973 to 1975. When he was offered the position at the Columbus Zoo in 1978, one of the reasons why he accepted was because he believed Children's Hospital in Columbus had the best treatment available for his daughter Julie's leukemia. She recovered by the age of six, though she needed a brain tumor removed later in life. Muskingum College is located in New Concord, Ohio, approximately sixty miles east of Columbus, Ohio. ... New Concord is a village located in Muskingum County, Ohio. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... In general, zoning is the division of an area into sub-areas, called zones. ... A petting zoo (often called, and/or part of, a childrens zoo) features a combination of domestic animals and some wild species that are docile enough to touch and feed. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The Lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae. ... State nickname: Everglade State, Sunshine State Other U.S. States Capital Tallahassee Largest city Jacksonville Governor Jeb Bush Official languages English Area 170,451 km² (22nd)  - Land 137,374 km²  - Water 30,486 km² (17. ... Childrens hospital is a hospital which offers its services exclusively to children. ... Leukemia (leukaemia in Commonwealth English) is a group of blood diseases characterized by malignancies (cancer) of the blood-forming tissues. ...

At the time he became the zoo's director, the grounds of the zoo were unkept and the facilities rundown. Hanna initially struck many as a "zealous" zoo director, often travelling around the zoo grounds after closing to personally pick up trash. He also realized the importance of increasing the profile of the Columbus Zoo in central Ohio to garner more public support and funding, and the everyman-seeming Hanna proved to be very well suited to public relations for the zoo. From 1981 until 1983, Hanna hosted a television show called Hanna's Ark that aired on the local CBS affiliate in Columbus, WBNS. Hanna's live animal demonstrations on Good Morning America and both of David Letterman's talk show incarnations brought national attention to the Columbus Zoo as well as to Hanna himself. Over the course of Hanna's tenure as director, the zoo made the transition from cage-like enclosures to habitat environments, and the grounds were significantly expanded. The annual attendance of the Columbus Zoo increased by over a factor of four during this time. Everyman (c. ... CBSs first color logo, which debuted in the fall of 1965. ... WBNS The letters WBNS are the call letters used by 4 stations in Columbus, Ohio owned by the Dispatch Broadcast Group. ... Veteran journalists Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer, who have hosted the show since the late 1990s. ... David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American talk show host, comedian, and television producer. ...

Some animal rights activists have claimed that Hanna has exploited animals for his own fame, criticising him in particular for wresting young animals away from their mothers to parade them on television. They also cite numerous incidents in which people have been injured during Hanna's demonstrations as evidence of his carelessness. Hanna was again sued in 1979, after a chimpanzee he brought to a church function in Marble Cliff, Ohio bit the finger off a five year-old girl. In 1995, former congressman Newt Gingrich was bitten on the chin by a baby cougar Hanna brought to the Capitol. On one television appearance, Good Morning, America host Charles Gibson was bitten by a fox Hanna had brought on the set and was allegedly never told that he could have contracted rabies from the animal. Hanna, for his part, states plainly that wildlife is dangerous and must be treated with respect. He has argued that in order for people to wish to protect animals and conserve their habitats, they must learn to love animals, and zoos and public demonstrations are the only way for that to happen. Species Pan troglodytes Pan paniscus Chimpanzee, often abbreviated to chimp, is the common name for two species in the genus Pan. ... Marble Cliff is a village located in Franklin County, Ohio. ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... Newt Gingrich Newton Leroy Gingrich (born June 17, 1947) is an American politician who is best known as the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999. ... Binomial name Puma concolor (Linnaeus, 1771) The puma (Puma concolor) is a type of large cat found in North, Central and South America. ... United States Capitol The United States Capitol is the building which serves as home for the legislative branch of the United States government. ... Alternate meanings: Charles Dana Gibson, artist. ... A red fox The foxes comprise 23 species of omnivorous canids, found worldwide. ...

Hanna has published an autobiography, Monkeys on the Interstate (1989), as well as many other books for children. He has been the host of the syndicated television show Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures since 1997. Hanna also occasionally contributes commentary as an animal expert on various local and national news programs, and has done guest spots on other shows such as Larry King Live and Hollywood Squares. He was also named one of the "50 most beautiful people" by People magazine. Larry King Live is a nightly CNN interview program hosted by Larry King. ... Hollywood Squares is a American television comedy and game show in which two contestants play tic-tac-toe to win money and prizes. ... People, a weekly magazine of celebrity and popular culture news, debuted on February 27, 1974. ...

Hanna and his wife, Suzi have three daughters: Kathaleen, Suzanne, and Julie. He spends much of his time at his home in Montana, where he expects to retire soon. Hanna has been granted honorary Ph.D.s from Muskingum, Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio, and Capital University in Columbus. State nickname: Treasure State Other U.S. States Capital Helena Largest city Billings Governor Brian Schweitzer Official languages English Area 381,156 km² (4th)  - Land 377,295 km²  - Water 3,862 km² (1%) Population (2000)  - Population 926,865 (44th)  - Density 2. ... Otterbein College is a private, independent, coed, four-year liberal arts college founded in 1847 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. ... Westerville is a city located in Franklin and Delaware counties in Ohio. ... Capital University is a university in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1830, that offers five schools of study: Arts and Sciences; Education, Social Work and Professional Studies; Music; Law; Management; and Nursing. ...

External links

• Jack Hanna's official site (http://www.jackhanna.com)
• PETA allegations of Jack Hanna's mishandling of animals (http://www.wildlifepimps.com/jackhanna.html)