Zoologist and television personality Jack Hanna, has worked with exotic creatures across the globe. Whether he is spending an hour with the endangered mountain gorilla in Rwanda or nursing orphaned baby elephants back to health, Hanna has seen it all.
This is why hundreds of families piled into the Carpenter Performing Arts Center on the Cal State University, Long Beach campus last Saturday to see Hanna’s live show, Into the Wild.
For over thirty years, Hanna has been traveling the country sharing his experiences, as well as his cute creatures.
In this time, Hanna boasted he has never missed a show. Being three weeks removed from a double knee replacement, a hobbling Hanna was able to entertain a crowd with his knowledge of the animals he knows so well.
The show was a mixture of clips from Hanna’s past television shows, as well as a live sharing of the many exotic animals he has.
Hanna brought out a primate known as the slow loris. Hanna shared with the audience that the slow loris they saw was one of 12 in the U.S. today. He also mentioned the slow loris was also one of three venomous mammals.
While the venom produced by the slow loris would only feel like a bee sting to a human, the slow loris uses its poison to capture bugs and smaller creatures. It makes its poison in the most interesting way, by licking its armpit to make its saliva poisonous.
Another treat Hanna had for the audience was a kangaroo who had a full-grown baby still in its pouch.
Hanna said as the crowd sighed with glee, “This is the first time I’ve ever shown a baby kangaroo about to leave the pouch. Not very many people get to see this.”
Hanna also made sure he educated the audience of the cruelty humans bring upon defenseless animals.
A video showed Hanna and his wife, Suzi, visiting the Rolling Dog Ranch, a safe haven for disabled pets their owners had abandoned.
Hanna and his wife were amazed by the loving nature of a dog that had taken an axe to its skull by its previous owner. Even with the trauma the dog had endured, it still rolled over for a belly scratch.
Some others creatures that fascinated the crowd included a great horned owl.
Hanna had the owl fly over the audiences’ heads. Hanna explained how owls are silent flying birds, making it easy for them to sneak up on their prey.
There was also laughter at the expense of an unlucky audience member, who Hanna made come up on stage to hold a giant anaconda.
Hanna played a joke on the young lady by secretly placing giant beetles on her back. The beetles frightened her, but led to a massive roar of laughter from the audience.
Hanna is an entertaining figure with great stage presence. With all of his experiences, Hanna has a lot to talk about and has an endearing knowledge of his animals.
It is these character traits that have made Hanna such a staple of American culture. His knowledge, coupled with his humor, have made him a loveable face to see on late night talks shows with legends like Johnny Carson and David Letterman.
The experience of seeing Hanna live is recommended for all. No matter the age, Hanna and his animals are an experience everyone can enjoy.