World-recognized zookeeper Hanna stops by Merced

America’s favorite animal exhibitor Jack Hanna rolled into Merced on Friday, bringing along his animal entourage for a roaring good time for all.

Hanna, 68, took the stage at the Merced Theatre as part of his “Into the Wild Live” tour. During the sold-out show, Hanna presented an array of creatures, including monkeys, jaguars, an African crested porcupine and a red kangaroo.

“I enjoy talking to people about animals,” Hanna told the Merced Sun-Star, hours before Friday’s show. “Touch the heart and teach the mind, that’s the reason why I do these shows.”

The animals at the show, Hanna explained, come from rescue zoos, including Project Survival in the Fresno County community of Dunlap and Conservation Ambassadors in Paso Robles.

One of his pals, a spider monkey named Mya, for example, was found in a dumpster in Los Angeles and rescued by the Conservation Ambassadors group.

Friday night was Hanna’s first time in Merced. He explained that touring gives him the opportunity to not only educate others about wildlife, but also helps bring attention to the needed protection of those creatures.

Hanna is best known for his television programs “Animal Adventures” and “Into the Wild” along with his appearances on the talk shows “Late Show with David Letterman,” “Larry King Live,” “The Ellen Degeneres Show” and “Good Morning America.”

Hanna, who was raised on a farm in Tennessee, said he fell in love with animals while working for his family veterinarian at the age of 11.

He has worked at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Ohio for more than 35 years and currently serves as its director emeritus. He has spent the past three decades traveling and touring, exposing the animal world.

During the show, Hanna took the audience on a narrated trip around the globe using video footage of his adventures. Among the destinations was the forests of Rwanda to meet mountain gorillas. In the early ’90s, Hanna started a grass-roots project, Partners in Conservation, for the benefit of those mountain gorillas.

The audience also learned about baby elephants in Eastern Africa and bears in New Mexico.

Hanna’s favorite part about doing theater shows, he said, is interacting with the audience who show genuine interest in the animal world.

Hanna noted that there are 221 zoos in the country that are visited by about 179 million people annually. The growth of those zoos, he said, depends on how educated people are about animal issues and care.

This story was originally published January 17, 2015 at 11:10 AM with the headline "World-recognized zookeeper Hanna stops by Merced."