Hanna to bring ‘Wild Live’ tour to Merced Theatre

Animal exhibitor and television personality Jack Hanna will bring his “Into the Wild Live” tour to the Merced Theatre at 7 p.m. on Jan. 16

During the show, Hanna, 68, will introduce the audience to some of the world’s animals and share stories and exclusive footage from his worldwide adventures.

According to the biography on Hanna’s website, his first job came at age 11 working for his family veterinarian. He loved cleaning cages and being around the animals. In 1978, he was named director of the Columbus Zoo. “When I first started at the Columbus Zoo, attendance was low and the animal habitats were outdated. My top priority was to increase attendance by offering educational and entertaining events. As a result of these programs, more and more people started visiting the zoo,” Hanna wrote on his website, JackHanna.com.

Many television appearances would follow, and before long Hanna became a recognized name on talk shows and news programs nationwide. Over the years Hanna has appeared on “The Late Show Wih David Letterman” “Good Morning America,” “Larry King Live,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” “Hollywood Squares,” “Entertainment Tonight,” Fox News and CNN programs and various other news programs. “The animals that I bring on television are ambassadors to their cousins in the wilds, and are cared for by professionals,” Hanna wrote on his site.

In the early ’90s Hanana started a grass-roots project, Partners in Conservation, to benefit the mountain gorillas of Rwanda. In 1993 he began hosting “Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures,” a nationally syndicated television series. After more than decade with “Animal Adventures,” he created a new TV series, “Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild” in 2007, according to his website.

Tickets are from $20 to $35. The Merced Theatre is at 301 W. Main St.

This story was originally published January 8, 2015 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Hanna to bring ‘Wild Live’ tour to Merced Theatre."