Entertainment News

"Jungle" Jack Hanna coming to Montana in August

Posted: Feb 9, 2012 9:10 PM by David Sherman (Great Falls)
Updated: Feb 9, 2012 9:11 PM

"Jungle" Jack Hanna, one of the most celebrated wildlife experts and a frequent guest on TV talk and news programs, will be visiting Great Falls in August as part of the Great Falls Advertising Federation's "Celebrity Celebration" series.

Hanna, a part-time resident of Montana with a home in Bigfork, will appear on Tuesday, August 14th, at the Mansfield Theatre.

The GFAF, or Ad Club, made the announcement on Thursday evening.

The press release states: "His hands-on approach and experience with wildlife has won him widespread acclaim as an author, television personality, conservationist, and Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. A dynamic orator, Hanna now enjoys speaking across the country, sharing his globe-trotting experiences with thousands of people. His timeless tales continue to captivate audiences of every generation."

Many people are familiar with Hanna from his frequent appearances on "The Late Show with David Letterman," where he delights the audience by bringing exotic animals onto the set.

He also has hosted his own syndicated programs, including "Jack Hanna's Into the Wild" and "Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures."

The Ad Club will donate a percentage of the event's proceeds year to the Animal Foundation of Great Falls.

Tickets to the event will be available in late spring at the Mansfield Box Office, Mansfield Convention Center, Monday-Friday, 9am-4:30 pm, and can be purchased in person or by phone, 406-455-8514 or online. Ticket prices have not yet been determined.

The Ad Club's first "Celebrity Celebration" featured "Dear Abby" advice columnist Jeanne Phillips, who visited Great Falls in October.

Hanna made Montana headlines in July 2010 when he and his wife were hiking along a park trail near Grinnell Glacier and came face to face with a family of grizzly bears.

The bears started toward Hanna, his wife, and three other nearby hikers, and that's when Hanna says one of the yearlings started charging.

Hanna acted fast, unloading bear spray in the direction of the bear, which he estimates weighed about 125 pounds.

He sprayed at about 20 feet, then again at about 15 feet, but it wasn't until the bear reached the group and was roughly ten feet away, that the bear smelled the spray and turned in the other direction.