L.A. Zoo to Relocate Elephants to Tulsa Despite Pushback from Animal Rights Activists

Yahoo

26-04-2025

On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Zoo formally announced that they are relocating their two remaining Asian elephants to Oklahoma, where they will join the Elephant Experience and Preserve at Tulsa Zoo. L.A. Zoo's decision to relocate male elephant, Billy (40), and female elephant, Tina (59), was reportedly made in collaboration with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and its Elephant Species Survival Plan (SSP) and Taxon Advisory Group (TAG). Throughout the years, L.A. Zoo has been subject to criticism by animal rights activists, including the Los Angeles based groups, Last Chance for Animals (LCA) and Los Angeles for Animals. Some City Council members have also spoken out against the zoo's elephant exhibit. Billy and Tina are among several elephants who have been a part of the L.A. Zoo. Since its opening in 1966, 16 elephants have died under their care. Most recently female elephant, Shaunzi (53), was euthanized by the zoo in 2024.Advocates for Billy and Tina, including both Los Angeles based animal rights groups, believe that the elephants and other animals held in captivity should be released to sanctuaries designed specifically to care for animals.
Los Angeles for Animals, though advocates for all animals, are specifically focused on their campaign to get Billy the elephant out of the zoo and into a sanctuary. On Monday, the group expressed via an Instagram post that they will be holding a protest at the L.A. Zoo on Sunday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. "The LA Zoo has made an atrocious decision to send Billy and Tina to a different jail. We will not stop advocating for them! Please join us, they need your voices more than ever," they posted. Mayor Karen Bass recently announced the proposed city budget for the upcoming fiscal year, revealing 1,647 layoffs and significant cuts to the city's animal services, but L.A. Zoo stated that this wasn't a deciding factor in their decision. Billy and Tina's new home at The Tulsa Zoo has an extensive elephant program where five Asian elephants currently live. The newly constructed facility covers 17 acres, including a 36,650-square-foot elephant barn and a 10-plus-acre elephant preserve. The Oxley Family Elephant Experience and Elephant Preserve, which officially completed reservations earlier this month, is one of the largest AZA-accredited centers for Asian elephants in North America.An official date for Billy and Tina's move has not been announced.