Jack Hanna's Alzheimer's Battle: Family Hopeful Visit With Old Pal David Letterman Will Bring Back Memories

Jungle "Jack" Hanna's visits on the Late Show with David Letterman were highlights to fans and now his family hopes the former TV duo can set a time for a reunion to help the wildlife expert recall his past amid his Alzheimer's battle, RadarOnline.com can report.

"The country loved Dave and Jack together," an insider close to the former director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium said. "Their chemistry was magnetic and their friendship completely genuine!"

The animal-loving zookeeper retired from public life in 2021 and has remained out of the limelight as his loved ones rallied together to care for him.

"Doctors have diagnosed our dad, Jack Hanna, with dementia, now believed to be Alzheimer's disease," Hanna's family wrote in a Twitter statement at the time.

"His condition has progressed much faster in the last few months than any of us could have anticipated," the statement read, noting he would no longer be stopping by the studios "where people all over the world watched, learned and laughed alongside him."

The Hanna family highlighted how "dad engaged with millions of households through his media appearances and weekly television programs — including Animal Adventures, Into the Wild and Wild Countdown."

"They all know how much working with Dave meant to Jack, not only for his career, but personally. They believe that if Dave stopped by and they could watch tapes of his many appearances, it would bring back so many lost memories," a source claimed to RadarOnline.com.

"They're convinced seeing Dave will remind him of the good times they shared together and bring him some much-needed happiness in his final days."

Hanna does not have a rep currently listed and is not able to receive messages on Twitter. RadarOnline.com reached out to Letterman for comment.

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A Columbus Dispatch article reported that Hanna has been spending his time at home in Bigfork, Montana, with wife Suzi and more recently, his loved ones shared an update via Twitter.

"Jack is still mobile, his mind fails him, the light in his eyes has dimmed, and we miss who he was each & every moment of the day," they shared. "We have been so grateful for your kind messages, words of support, and the privacy you have afforded our family over the last 2+ years."