Actress and longtime animal advocate Betty White is set to join Columbus Zoo emeritus director Jack Hanna at 9:30 a.m. Thursday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the Heart of Africa exhibit.

A golden guest will help kick off a new safari-themed segment at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.



Actress and longtime animal advocate Betty White is set to join emeritus director Jack Hanna at 9:30 a.m. Thursday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the Heart of Africa exhibit.



White, who has been a board member of both the Los Angeles Zoo and the Morris Animal Foundation, first visited the Columbus Zoo in 1979 � and has maintained a friendship with Hanna ever since.



�My love of animals began in the womb,� White told The Dispatch in 1996 before speaking at a zoo fundraiser for gorilla preservation in Rwanda. �I grew up finding animals the most fantastic friends on Earth.�



During a 1993 roast of Hanna, she joked: �I�ve been godmother to some of your gorillas. I�ve dated some others, too.�



The 43-acre Heart of Africa exhibit offers 165 exotic animals that include lions, wildebeests and gazelles. Hands-on visitor features include camel rides and a giraffe-feeding station.



For more information, call 614-645-3400 or visit www.colszoo.org.



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