Animal show host to visit with menagerie
Many locals still remember May 17, 2007, the day Jack Hanna was in town with a caravan of vehicles that transported a dozen varieties of wild animals parked in front of the Midwest Museum of Natural History in Sycamore.
On Sunday, Sept. 21, Hanna and his animal friends will return, first with a noon performance at the Sycamore High School auditorium and then a 5 p.m. performance at the Community Building Complex of Boone County in Belvidere, hosted by the Midwest Museum of Natural History, along with the Belvidere Noon Rotary.
Through his nationally syndicated television show, "Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures," and hundreds of appearances on the "Late Show with David Letterman," "Good Morning America" and "Larry King Live," "Jungle Jack" Hanna has become a household name. Hanna's "Into the Wild" television series, viewed locally on Rockford's WQRF and Chicago's WFBT, recently won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Children's Series.
In a nutshell, Hanna is one of the most visible and respected ambassadors between the human and animal worlds. His hands-on approach and insight into the public's appreciate of wildlife have won him widespread popular acclaim as director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo, conservationist, author, television personality, and lifelong adventurer. From young to old, Hanna inspires as he entertains.
Jungle Jack's live shows in Sycamore and Belvidere will feature many of his favorite animal friends, as well as fascinating and humorous stories and footage from his adventures around the world. Autograph opportunities will be available.
Premium seat tickets are $30 and general seating is $20. Tickets for the Sycamore show are available by calling the Midwest Museum of Natural History at (815) 895-9777, or for the Belvidere show by calling the Belvidere YMCA at (815) 547-5307.
Major sponsors of Jack Hanna's visit to Northern Illinois are: Corbin's Exotic Pets, Edward Jones, General Mills, Illini Swine, Yvonne Johnson, David and Suzanne Juday, Quiram Funeral Directors, Rockford Health System, and ZeaMays Holdings. Complete details are available at the museum's Web site, www.mmnh.org.