Jana of the Jungle facts for kids

Jana of the Jungle is an exciting animated TV show created by comic artist Doug Wildey. It was made by Hanna-Barbera Productions and first aired on NBC from September to December 1978. The show was originally a part of The Godzilla Power Hour, which was a bigger show featuring different cartoons.

Meet Jana and Her Friends

Jana (voiced by B.J. Ward) is a brave "jungle girl" who lives in the amazing rain forests of South America. She is always looking for her father, who disappeared in a boating accident when she was a child. Even though she never finds him, the show hints that he survived.

Jana has long blonde hair and wears a special animal-skin dress. She also has a cool necklace that she can throw like a weapon! When she throws it, it makes a loud, high-pitched sound. Her father gave it to her before he vanished. Jana can also make a special yell, much like Tarzan's, which helps her call many different jungle animals for help.

Jana has some awesome animal friends:

• Ghost, a sleek white jaguar
• Tico, a playful water opossum

She also has two human friends who help her on her adventures:

• Dr. Ben Cooper (voiced by Michael Bell): He's a young wildlife biologist who helps take care of the animal preserve Jana's father started. He also helps Jana search for her dad.
• Montaro (voiced by Ted Cassidy): Montaro is a strong warrior from an ancient tribe. He has a special weapon called the Staff of Power. When he hits the ground with it, it can cause earthquake-like shockwaves! Montaro actually saved Jana from the boating accident where her father disappeared.

Jana can call on many other jungle animals when she needs them, including:

• Croco, a crocodile
• Kachi, a monkey
• Peechu, birds like parrots and macaws
• Nacto, a bat
• Slithor, a snake

Jungle Adventures: The Episodes

The Jana of the Jungle series had 13 exciting episodes. Each episode took Jana and her friends on a new adventure, facing dangers and solving mysteries in the South American rain forest.

Here are a few examples of the challenges they faced:

• In one episode, Jana had to deal with a powerful bomb counting down after a military plane crashed. She also had to handle an active volcano!
• Another time, a plane carrying important medical supplies crashed in a dangerous area. Jana had to face a legendary tribe of ape-men to help.
• Jana also had to rescue miners when a volcano erupted and protect a village from a frightened zoo elephant that escaped.
• In one thrilling episode, Jana thought she might have found her missing father in a native village.

The show was full of action, showing Jana using her skills and her animal friends to overcome obstacles and protect the jungle.

Voices Behind the Characters

The talented actors who brought the characters of Jana of the Jungle to life were:

• B.J. Ward as Jana
• Michael Bell as Dr. Ben Cooper
• Ted Cassidy as Montaro

Additional Voices

Many other voice actors helped make the show special:

Jana in Comic Books

Years after the TV show, in 2007, a comic book called Jungle Girl was released by Dynamite Entertainment. This comic also featured a blonde "jungle girl" named Jana. She lived in a "Lost World" jungle filled with strange creatures like dinosaurs and cavemen. Even though she had the same name and lived in a jungle, this comic book character wasn't directly connected to the Jana of the Jungle TV series.

See also

In Spanish: Jana de la selva para niños