Latest news with #Assn.ofZoosandAquariums
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Elephants Billy and Tina whisked out of L.A. Zoo by night amid protests, arrive in Tulsa
For the record:12:25 p.m. May 21, 2025: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the size of the elephant enclosure at the Tulsa Zoo. It is about 17 acres. Despite a stream of steady protests and objections since the announcement that Billy and Tina the elephants would be transferred from the Los Angeles Zoo to the Tulsa Zoo, the aging pachyderms have arrived in Oklahoma. The L.A. Zoo confirmed in a statement Wednesday morning that Billy and Tina arrived safely at the Tulsa Zoo after a lengthy journey together by truck in separate ventilated containers. The drive took place overnight in hopes of optimal temperatures for the animals and minimal traffic, but the zoo did not provide further details on when the move began or the exact arrival time in Tulsa. The L.A. Zoo estimated the elephants' journey took 22 hours, but the Tulsa Zoo told The Times it was closer to 26 hours. The statement came after advocates for the animals were concerned at the sight of an empty elephant enclosure at the L.A. Zoo on Tuesday. Read more: Where are Billy and Tina? L.A. Zoo's elephant enclosure appears empty amid relocation saga Advocates have long criticized the L.A. Zoo for its small enclosure size for elephants and the history of deaths and health challenges among its inhabitants. The zoo said the deaths of elephants Jewel, 61, in 2023 and Shaunzi, 53, in 2024 meant the elephant program in L.A. was not in accordance with the standards set by the Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums that require zoos to have at least three Asian elephants in an enclosure because of their social nature. The only options from there, to maintain AZA accreditation, were to transfer the two remaining elephants, Billy and Tina, or add more elephants to the small enclosure. In its statement, the zoo reiterated that it evaluated all available options, including AZA-accredited sanctuaries, as activists had been pushing for. The zoo also said Mayor Karen Bass "inquired" about moving the elephants to a sanctuary, but that the decision was made at the recommendation of the AZA and its Elephant Species Survival Plan. The Tulsa Zoo was the top choice from the AZA, according to the statement, because of the size of the enclosure (about 17 acres of space and a 36,650-square-foot barn), the five Asian elephants already there and the fact that Billy and Tina could stay together. Read more: Last two elephants to leave L.A. Zoo after years of controversy. But their new home is the subject of debate The chair of the AZA is the L.A. Zoo's director and chief executive, Denise Verret. "Although they will be missed, we are grateful for the outpouring of support from our members, volunteers, staff, and the more than 1.5 million guests who visit the Los Angeles Zoo annually," the zoo said in its statement. "As they begin their new chapter, we know that Billy and Tina will receive the same love and expert individualized care that they have had at the Los Angeles Zoo." The zoo created an FAQ page on its website with additional details about the decision-making process for the transfer, which has been under scrutiny from animal activists and City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, a longtime advocate of the elephants. The website also details specifics of the moving process, saying the elephants were trained using "positive reinforcement methods" to voluntarily enter the large, ventilated shipping containers that they were transported in. They were secured using fabric- or leather-lined bracelets, which they wore prior to moving day to get used to how they felt. Read more: As L.A. resident sues zoo over Billy and Tina, Cher says elephants have 'served their time' The journey by truck was taken straight through, with short breaks and checks by the team of caregivers. Other zoos along the route were "on stand-by" to assist if there was an emergency in transit, according to the FAQ page. The Tulsa Zoo said in a statement to The Times on Wednesday that the animals were given hay, cantaloupe, romaine and water during the breaks, and that the care team said both Billy and Tina were calm and ate and drank well. Billy and Tina will undergo a "standard quarantine period," the Tulsa Zoo said, and will then spend the next several weeks building bonds with their new care team and meeting the rest of their new herd. The L.A. Zoo paid $44,000 for the transfer, splitting the cost with the Tulsa Zoo. The zoo said the cost will "have no impact" on the 2025-26 L.A. city budget. With the empty space where Billy and Tina lived, the L.A. Zoo will "reimagine" the area for other suitable species and programming and will pause its elephant program for the immediate future. Billy and Tina's transfer took place despite a motion by Blumenfield in City Council last month to pause the move until council members could review the possibility of sending them to a sanctuary and two pending lawsuits regarding the relocation. John Kelly, a Los Angeles resident, filed a lawsuit May 9 seeking to halt the elephants' transfer, but a judge denied an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order in the case last week. On Tuesday, the Nonhuman Rights Project filed a petition in court seeking recognition of the elephants' 'right to liberty' and their release to an accredited sanctuary. Elizabeth Stein, the litigation director at the Nonhuman Rights Project, said in a statement Wednesday morning, "We still have viable legal options to secure Billy and Tina's freedom in an elephant sanctuary, and we're not stopping." Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
21-05-2025
- General
- Los Angeles Times
Elephants Billy and Tina whisked out of L.A. Zoo by night amid protests, arrive in Tulsa
Despite a stream of steady protests and objections since the announcement that Billy and Tina the elephants would be transferred from the Los Angeles Zoo to the Tulsa Zoo, the aging pachyderms have arrived in Oklahoma. The L.A. Zoo confirmed in a statement Wednesday morning that Billy and Tina arrived safely at the Tulsa Zoo after a 22-hour journey together by truck in separate ventilated containers. The drive took place overnight in hopes of optimal temperatures for the animals and minimal traffic, but the zoo did not provide further details on when the move began or the exact arrival time in Tulsa. The statement came after advocates for the animals were concerned at the sight of an empty elephant enclosure at the L.A. Zoo Tuesday. Advocates have long criticized the L.A. Zoo for its small enclosure size for elephants and the history of deaths and health challenges among its inhabitants. The zoo said the deaths of elephants Jewel, 61, in 2023 and Shaunzi, 53, in 2024 meant the elephant program in L.A. was not in accordance with the standards set by the Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums that require zoos to have at least three Asian elephants in an enclosure because of their social nature. The only options from there, to maintain AZA accreditation, were to transfer the two remaining elephants, Billy and Tina, or add more elephants to the small enclosure. In its statement, the zoo reiterated that it evaluated all available options, including AZA accredited sanctuaries, as activists had been pushing for. The zoo also said Mayor Karen Bass 'inquired' about moving the elephants to a sanctuary, but that the decision was made at the recommendation of the AZA and its Elephant Species Survival Plan. The Tulsa Zoo was the top choice from the AZA, according to the statement, because of the size of the enclosure (over 130 acres of space and a 36,650-square-foot barn), the five Asian elephants already there and the fact that Billy and Tina could stay together. The chair of the AZA is the L.A. Zoo's Director and Chief Executive Denise Verret. 'Although they will be missed, we are grateful for the outpouring of support from our members, volunteers, staff, and the more than 1.5 million guests who visit the Los Angeles Zoo annually,' the zoo said in its statement. 'As they begin their new chapter, we know that Billy and Tina will receive the same love and expert individualized care that they have had at the Los Angeles Zoo.' The zoo created an FAQ page on its website with additional details about the decision-making process for the transfer, which has been under scrutiny from animal activists and City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, a longtime advocate of the elephants. The website also details the specifics of the moving process, saying the elephants were trained using 'positive reinforcement methods' to voluntarily enter the large, ventilated shipping containers that they were transported in. They were secured using fabric- or leather-lined bracelets, which they wore prior to moving day to get used to how they felt. The journey by truck was taken straight through, with short breaks and checks by the team of caregivers. Other zoos along the route were 'on stand-by' to assist if there was an emergency in transit, according to the FAQ page. The L.A. Zoo paid $44,000 for the transfer, splitting the cost with the Tulsa Zoo. The zoo said the cost will 'have no impact' on the 2025-26 L.A. City budget. With the empty space where Billy and Tina lived, the L.A. Zoo will 'reimagine' the area for other suitable species and programming and will pause its elephant program for the immediate future. Billy and Tina's transfer took place despite a motion by Blumenfield in City Council last month to pause the move until council members could review the possibility of sending them to a sanctuary and two pending lawsuits regarding the relocation. John Kelly, a Los Angeles resident, filed a lawsuit May 9 seeking to halt the elephants' transfer, but a judge denied an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order in the case last week. On Tuesday, the Nonhuman Rights Project filed a petition in court seeking recognition of the elephants' 'right to liberty' and their release to an accredited sanctuary. Elizabeth Stein, the litigation director at the Nonhuman Rights Project, said in a statement Wednesday morning, 'We still have viable legal options to secure Billy and Tina's freedom in an elephant sanctuary, and we're not stopping.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Judge denies emergency motion to stop transfer of L.A. Zoo elephants Billy and Tina
A judge denied a temporary restraining order on Thursday seeking to stop the Los Angeles Zoo from transferring two beloved elephants to a zoo in Oklahoma. An L.A. resident sued the zoo last Friday over its decision to move elephants Tina and Billy to the Tulsa Zoo, arguing that they should instead be sent to an animal sanctuary. His lawyers then filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order on Tuesday. Melissa Lerner, the lawyer representing the plaintiff, told reporters outside the courtroom on Thursday that the judge denied the motion 'largely on the basis that this is an issue that should be addressed by the City Council and Mayor Karen Bass,' adding that the judge 'encouraged the public to reach out to their council members and to Mayor Bass and to tell them that this is unconscionable and unacceptable.' Animal rights advocates have criticized the L.A. Zoo for decades for holding elephants in a relatively small enclosure, which they say causes serious health issues. Two elephants were euthanized in the last few years because of health issues that the zoo said were age-related, leaving only Billy and Tina, who live in separate enclosures in an elephant habitat of about 6.5 acres. The zoo announced it would be transferring the pachyderms to a spacious elephant complex at the Tulsa Zoo in late April, sparking further criticism. Read more: As L.A. resident sues zoo over Billy and Tina, Cher says elephants have 'served their time' Outside the courtroom, Lerner continued to call on the mayor to act. 'Mayor Karen Bass can resolve this with one phone call — it is not difficult,' Lerner said. 'We wish she would rise to the occasion and do the right thing here. She has the power to intervene and prevent their transfer before it's too late.' A representative for the mayor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The emergency filing cited the urgency of the case, noting that the transfer could happen at any moment and that transporting elephants can pose serious health risks. It urged the judge to 'maintain the status quo' by keeping Billy and Tina in L.A. until the court had more time to review the case. Much of the contents of the initial lawsuit, including a declaration from the singer Cher, discussed how the decision-making process to transfer the animals was made without input from the public or from City Council. In its first statement since the lawsuit was filed, the L.A. Zoo said Thursday morning that the 'difficult decision' to relocate Billy and Tina was made in accordance with recommendations from and consultations with the Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums and its Elephant Species Survival Plan. 'The care and wellbeing of the animals is always a top priority and decisions impacting the animals are made at discretion of the Zoo Director — an authority granted in the Los Angeles City Charter. Activist agendas and protests are rightfully not a consideration in decisions that impact animal care,' the statement said. Read more: Last two elephants to leave L.A. Zoo after years of controversy. But their new home is the subject of debate L.A. Zoo Director and Chief Executive Denise Verret is named as a defendant in the lawsuit. L.A. City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, a longtime advocate for the elephants, filed a motion last month seeking to pause their relocation until the City Council could review the possibility of sending them to a sanctuary. At a budget hearing last week, Blumenfield asked Verret a series of questions about the elephants. In a hearing on May 8 where the Council member and zoo director went head-to-head on the issue, Verret said as of that date that the L.A. and Tulsa zoos had not yet signed a contract and no date had been set for the transfer. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
