COLUMBUS, MONTANA: Jack Hanna's family is hopeful that a visit with his old friend and TV host David Letterman will help the retired zookeeper regain his memory amid his struggle with Alzheimer's disease. "The country loved Dave and Jack together. Their chemistry was magnetic and their friendship completely genuine!", a source close to the wildlife expert said.
Months before the diagnosis, Hanna often forgot what he was doing or where he was. His family and close friends explained that during his touring animal exhibitions, the animal lover forgot names and specifics about the animals when he got on stage. Hanna now appears to remember only his wife, Suzi, his dog Brassy and sometimes his eldest daughter Kathleen.
Letterman's visit will bring him 'much-needed happiness in his final days'
Hanna who served as the former director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium retired in 2021 putting an end to his 42-year spanning career. "Doctors have diagnosed our dad, Jack Hanna, with dementia, now believed to be Alzheimer's disease," his family wrote announcing his diagnosis in a Twitter statement at the time. "His condition has progressed much faster in the last few months than any of us could have anticipated," read the statement which revealed that would no longer be stopping by the studios "where people all over the world watched, learned and laughed alongside him."
The zookeeper's family highlighted in the statement that he "engaged with millions of households through his media appearances and weekly television programs — including Animal Adventures, Into the Wild, and Wild Countdown."
Speaking of Hanna's friendship with Letterman, a source told Radar Online that "they all know how much working with Dave meant to Jack, not only for his career but personally. They believe that if Dave stopped by and they could watch tapes of his many appearances, it would bring back so many lost memories."
"They're convinced seeing Dave will remind him of the good times they shared together and bring him some much-needed happiness in his final days," the insider added.
'The light in his eyes has dimmed'
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Hanna who is battling Alzheimer's has been spending his time at his Bigfork home in Bigfork, with his wife Suzi. "Jack is still mobile, his mind fails him, the light in his eyes has dimmed, and we miss who he was each & every moment of the day," shared his family further adding, "We have been so grateful for your kind messages, words of support, and the privacy you have afforded our family over the last 2+ years."
