Jack Hanna, a renowned animal advocate and director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, gave an educational performance at the Luhrs Performing Arts Center on Thursday, Jan. 29. He brought with him a selection of animals, some that people were dying to see and others that they had never heard of before.

The first animal Hanna brought on stage was a mountain lion, one of the most elusive cats in the world. The mountain lion was one of two that had been found in the midst of a fire and had been too helpless to run away. They were rescued and one is now touring the country with him.

The second animal on stage was an alligator. The alligator used to be endangered, but now has made quite a come back.

Next was a two-toed sloth. Sloths look cute and fuzzy, but they can give a nasty bite. Some of the sloths’ prehistoric ancestors weighed more than 1,000 pounds.

Jack Hanna was also accompanied by a penguin. When you think penguin, you think of a cold climate, but only five of 17 species live in the cold. Hanna’s was from South Africa.

Some very rare animals were in the show, as well. An Iberian lynx made a stage appearance. Most of the audience had never seen one because other than those that are in zoos, the Iberian lynx is extinct in the wild.

Another animal most people had not seen was the bearcat. The bearcat is an Asian species in the mongoose family, whose tail acts as a fifth hand.

The Asian Palm Civet is also in the mongoose family. It is considered a delicacy in China and it makes interesting choices about its own food. The Palm Civet can kill and eat king cobras by using the cobra’s lunge to its disadvantage. The palm civet runs in a circle around the cobra. The cobra will try to turn its head around and around to follow the Palm Civet and, eventually, gets dizzy and topples over. Then the Palm Civet bites off its head.

Hanna then brought out a cobra. The cobra is a neurotoxic snake and its head will sometimes flatten when it is excited.

The serval cat also came on tour. Although the serval is a cat, almost 60 percent of its diet is bugs. One of its more famous traits, however, is lying in wait then jumping up to catch low flying birds. While the serval cat jumps to hunt, the black leopard is totally silent when hunting. This leopard was the most endangered cat in Africa, until last June.

Two common North American animals were in the show, too. Interestingly, Hanna brought a raven. The raven was given a few shapes to put into the correct hole in a board and was able to get it correct. The raven also flew into the audience and grabbed a dollar bill from a volunteer. Chucky, the beaver, took center stage next. Hanna told the audience that when Chucky raises his tale, it means he thinks there is a predator.

My personal favorite animals were in the finale: the cheetahs. Unfortunately, they are now the most endangered cat in Africa. Hanna’s cheetahs were cubs and, to boost their confidence, they were brought out with their friend, a yellow lab.

Jack Hanna taught the audience that when we learn about animals, we are more likely to care for and protect them. I would recommend seeing one of his shows, or at least watching a video of one, although it was much more fun to see the animals live. Jack Hanna put on a great show and, if I had the opportunity, I would see it again.

Article written by Junior Reporter Chalaina Potts

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