Photo by theSuperstar via Flickr
The Great Lakes region has some die-hard Jack Hanna fans. Three of the top five finalists in the “Wanna Be Like Jack Hanna” contest are from Great Lake states. The contest required applicants to create a 60 second video explaining why they wanted to be like the famous zookeeper, TV show host and animal enthusiast.
The final applicants from the region are: Rebecca Long from Worthington, Ohio, Bret Muter from Saginaw, Mich. and Cassandra Stull from Delaware, Ohio. Click on their names to watch their video submissions.
The grand prize winner receives a six-week trip to South Africa to attend the Mantis Field Guide Academy at the Shamwari Game Reserve and an appearance on Hanna’s show, Into the Wild. The second place finisher will be awarded a trip to New York City to watch and help Jack Hanna and other animal handlers with one of his TV interviews. The third place finisher receives a trip to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium for a three-day VIP tour.
Hanna became director of the Columbus Zoo in Columbus, Ohio in 1978, and today, he serves as director emeritus. According to his Web site, he calls Central Ohio home. Perhaps this connection to the Great Lakes region is one of the reasons why three of the top finalists are also from the area.
You can vote through December 9 for your fellow Great Lakes residents here!
All three are great and all three should share 1st prize! Why not jump-start those three wonderful careers? I’d be surprised if any of the three would get much out of a trip to the zoo, especially with their interest in the environment (outside any zoo).