By Jared Fields, Managing Editor

Famous zoologist Jack Hanna will be in Abilene on Thursday to help the Abilene Zoo celebrate its 40th birthday at Nelson Park.

Hanna has appeared on numerous shows, such as “The Late Show with David Letterman,” “Good Morning America” and is a wildlife correspondent for FOX News.

Hanna, along with his animal guests, will speak to elementary school children Thursday morning at the Teague Special Events Center but is open only to area school children.

At 7 p.m., he will speak at a dinner at the Abilene Civic Center.

Individual seats can be purchased for $50 each at the Abilene Zoo. The dinner will be the only event open to the public with Hanna that day.

Proceeds from the dinner will go to the new technology educational programs for children at the zoo. The zoo is also building a new learning center at the zoo and is wanting to add distance learning.

Gail Russey, who works for the zoo, said the zoo has been trying to get Hanna to come and speak for three years.

“He said he’d come because its the 40th birthday of the zoo,” Russey said.