Zoo animals are ambassadors for their cousins in the wild.

She recovered by the age of six although Jack Hanna needed to have a brain tumor removed later in life. He attended The Kiski School an all-boys boarding school in Saltsburg Pennsylvania for high school graduating in 1965. When he was offered the position at the Columbus Zoo in 1978 one of the reasons he accepted was because he believed the Children's Hospital in Columbus had the best treatment available for his daughter Julie's leukemia.

Hanna nicknamed "Jungle Jack" is known for his khaki safari outfit deep tan and Southern accent. John Bushnell "Jack" Hanna (born January 2 1947) is an American zookeeper who is the Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. He was Director of the zoo from 1978 to 1993 and is viewed as largely responsible for elevating its quality and reputation.