Jack Hanna's long goodbye: How Alzheimer's is stripping away the man the world once knew
In an exclusive interview, The Dispatch traveled to Montana to profile Jack Hanna and his family's fight against advanced Alzheimer's disease.
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Jack Hanna's long goodbye: How Alzheimer's is stripping away the man the world once knew
Mike Wagner
The Columbus Dispatch
Bigfork, Montana — As a sunset paints the sky pink on his Montana family farm, Jack Hanna sneaks a chunk of pizza to his golden retriever when a man approaches to greet him.
“Hi Jack,” the family guest says. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
The longtime zookeeper’s famous smile fades into curiosity.
“Where are you from?” Hanna asks between bites.
“Columbus, Ohio,” the family guest says.
Hanna built the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium into one of the nation's best. He then captivated national audiences on David Letterman’s late-night talk show, "Good Morning America" and a number of his own Emmy-winning animal series that still run in syndication. He traveled the globe as a leading animal conservationist promoting Columbus. It was his home for decades. It’s even where he once said he wanted his ashes spread whenever he passes away.
But in this moment, none of that history feels familiar.
Hanna pauses, then asks a question.
“Have I ever been to Columbus, Ohio?”
The Jack Hanna the world once knew is gone.
At age 76, Alzheimer’s disease has stripped away his memory and the life he led in the public eye for almost a half century. He was first diagnosed in the fall of 2019 with early Alzheimer's but now the disease has advanced to the point where he doesn't know most of his own family.
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