Latest news with #LAZoo
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tulsa Zoo gives update on new elephants Billy and Tina
The Brief Asian elephants Billy and Tina have arrived at the Tulsa Zoo from the Los Angeles Zoo. The elephants are currently in quarantine and will not be fully viewable to the public for a while. Their arrival has been met with controversy regarding their transportation. LOS ANGELES - The Tulsa Zoo has provided an update on the arrival of its new Asian elephants, Billy and Tina, who recently relocated from the Los Angeles Zoo. What we know Asian elephants Billy and Tina have arrived at the Tulsa Zoo from the Los Angeles Zoo, according to the latest update from the zoo's Facebook page. They are currently in a standard quarantine period, kept separate from the other elephants but able to get used to their presence from a distance. Billy and Tina are spending this quarantine period together and were heard trumpeting upon their reintroduction at the zoo's Elephant Preserve Barn after their journey. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: LA Zoo confirms fate of elephants Billy and Tina Zoo officials said the care team is bonding with the elephants and coordinating with the Los Angeles Zoo to facilitate their transition. While not fully viewable to guests for a while, visitors to the Elephant Preserve Barn may catch glimpses of them. What they're saying In a Facebook post, the Tulsa Zoo shared their appreciation and commitment: "Thank you to the staff at Los Angeles Zoo for sharing their expertise and passion for Billy and Tina with our team. We will continue your legacy of caring for them with excellence, teamwork and individualized attention. To those who know and love our zoo, thank you for being our champions. We will continue to do the work every day as passionate advocates for these amazing animals." PREVIOUS COVERAGE: LA Zoo confirms Billy and Tina the elephants have been moved to Tulsa What's next The Tulsa Zoo plans to continue sharing updates about Billy and Tina as they proceed with their transition into their new home. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Judge denies request blocking LA Zoo from sending elephants Tina and Billy to Tulsa The elephants will remain in quarantine for a period and will not be fully viewable to the public until they have fully acclimated. The backstory In April, the LA Zoo announced that Tina and Billy would be relocated to Tulsa to live out their days at the newly expanded Elephant Experience and Preserve at the Tulsa Zoo. The decision was met with some anger and protest. Just last week, a judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order that would have put a temporary stop on a bid by the LA Zoo from moving its last two beloved elephants. Zoo officials said the decision was made with the animals' care and well-being as the top priority, and the relocation "will afford them the opportunity to live among other elephants." PREVIOUS COVERAGE: LA Zoo being sued over plans to move elephants to Oklahoma Billy is 40 years old and Tina is 59. Contrary to the assumption that Billy has spent his entire life at the LA Zoo, his official biography indicates he was born in Malaysia and brought to Los Angeles when he was four years old. Tina's history also reveals she was reportedly a circus performer before arriving at the zoo as an adult. Zoo officials have mentioned evaluating the elephant exhibit since the deaths of two other elephants -- Jewel, age 61, in 2023, and Shaunzi, age 53, in 2024 -- although they attributed those deaths to "declining health due to issues unrelated to the zoo's enclosure or care." Dig deeper The Tulsa Zoo houses five Asian elephants and includes a 17-acre area with a 36,650-square-foot elephant barn and a 10-plus-acre wooded elephant preserve. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: LA Zoo's last remaining Asian elephants to be relocated to Oklahoma Some in the animal rights community say the Elephant Experience and Preserve in Tulsa "was just a fancy name for the somewhat larger elephant enclosure at the Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma." The Source Information for this story is from the Tulsa Zoo, LA Zoo, and previous FOX 11 reports.
Asharq Al-Awsat
23-05-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Aging Elephants Moved from LA to Tulsa Zoo, but Advocates Say they Should be at a Sanctuary
Billy and Tina, the last remaining elephants at the Los Angeles Zoo, were quietly moved this week to a zoo in Oklahoma despite pending lawsuits seeking to have them transferred instead to an animal sanctuary where they could live out their days with more room to roam. The announcement last month that Billy, 40, and Tina, 59, would be sent to the Tulsa Zoo angered animal advocates who argue that they would be subjected again to an enclosure that's too small for aging elephants, The Associated Press reported. The move came 'under cover of darkness,' said Jake Davis, an attorney for the Nonhuman Rights Project. Davis said he received reports that the Asian elephants were transferred out about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday to elude protesters who've been staking out the zoo. The nonprofit on Tuesday filed a petition asking a court to release Billy and Tina from the LA Zoo and send them to one of two accredited sanctuaries appropriate for elephants where they would have full-time care and ample space. 'At a sanctuary, they could live as nature intended,' Davis said Wednesday. 'They need massive swaths of land; they need varied terrain.' The LA Zoo said in a statement Wednesday that the elephants 'have arrived safely at the Tulsa Zoo' but didn't say when the transfer occurred. The move was necessary because the Tulsa Zoo has other Asian elephants who will provide important socialization for Billy and Tina because 'keeping them in larger groups is crucial for their well-being,' especially at their advanced age, the LA Zoo statement said. Asian elephants typically live around 60 years. A move to a sanctuary was considered, but the Tulsa Zoo was the top recommendation based on the standards of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Elephant Species Survival Plan, which considers 'space, herd dynamics, and expertise of the staff,' the LA Zoo said. 'This option also ensured that Billy and Tina would be able to remain together," the statement said. Davis said he expects the Los Angeles lawsuit will be dismissed but his group will not give up the fight to get Billy and Tina a sanctuary retirement home. He said his team is exploring legal options in Oklahoma. The Tulsa Zoo didn't immediately reply to a request for comment. A lawsuit filed this month by an LA resident sought to halt the elephants' transfer, but a judge denied an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order. That lawsuit includes a declaration by the singer Cher, who has advocated for the elephants for years, the Los Angeles Times reported. 'Billy and Tina have served their time in confinement,' Cher said in the declaration. 'They deserve the chance to live out their lives in peace and dignity.' The LA Zoo referred questions about the court actions to the city attorney's office, which said it doesn't comment on pending litigation. Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion in April requiring the zoo to explore sanctuary options for the pair. But before the council could act, the zoo went forward with the move, 'thwarting public discourse and transparency,' In Defense of Animals said in a statement Wednesday. The nonprofit said the Tulsa Zoo's enclosure is 'cramped, unnatural, and harmful to elephant health," with seven animals 'jammed into an enclosure less than one percent the size of their smallest natural range.' The Tulsa Zoo said last month that it has renovated and expanded its elephant exhibit, which dedicates 17 of its 124 total acres to pachyderms. A large barn was built in 2024 and an additional 10 acres will be added to preserve this summer, the zoo said in an April statement. Zoos across the country have been targeted in recent years by animal activists who criticize living conditions for elephants. Broadly, some elephant experts say urban zoos simply don't have the space that elephants, who roam extensive distances in the wild, need for a normal life. Some larger zoos such as the Toronto Zoo and San Francisco Zoo have phased out their elephant programs, sending their aging animals to sanctuaries that have far more space. But other zoos say they are committed to keeping elephants and are turning to breeding, arguing that a sustainable population of zoo elephants will help spur a commitment to wildlife conservation among future generations of visitors. In New York, the Nonhuman Rights Project filed legal papers to try to free the Asian elephant Happy from the Bronx Zoo but lost in court in 2022. The group then filed similar papers in California to try to free the Fresno Chaffee Zoo 's three African elephants but a judge ruled against the group.
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'Delco Pooper's' Legal Troubles Get Even Messier
The Pennsylvania woman dubbed the 'Delco Pooper' appeared in court this week as her legal troubles piled up. Plus, Hollywood stars are slamming the LA Zoo for secretly moving its last two elephants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit Jeffrey Petz
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE LA Mayor Karen Bass sparks outrage as elephants are shackled and secretly moved to one of America's 'worst' zoos
The Los Angeles Zoo has been accused of 'shattering its trust' with the public after secretly moving its last elephants across the country in the dead of night. Critics say LA Mayor Karen Bass chose to avoid scrutiny over the controversial decision to keep the animals confined by transferring them to Tulsa Zoo rather than retire them to a place where they could roam free. Despite protests, petitions and ongoing calls urging Bass to send them to a sanctuary in Cambodia, she made the final decision to send them to Oklahoma. Celebrities including Cher, Nicola Peltz Beckham and Kim Basinger had bombarded Bass pleading with her not to send the animals to Tulsa – which is ranked the 13th worst zoo in America out of 439 by LA is ranked second worst. Photos obtained by show an empty elephant exhibit at the LA Zoo on Tuesday, just one day after Asian elephants Billy, 40, and Tina, 59, were seen with shackles around their ankles in preparation for their departure. 'They knew what would happen if the public caught wind of what they were doing, so they meticulously planned the move in the wee hours of the morning,' one insider told 'They were afraid someone might get photos of the elephants in transport. This was all done in secrecy. 'Even the zoo staff was kept in the dark. In the wake of their move, calls for Bass to resign have mounted with countless people taking to social media to vent their disapproval. 'November 3, 2026, Election Day and the end of @mayorofla and her disregard for LA's animals,' was written in one Instagram message in response to a screenshot of a photo of Billy and Tina with the words written 'MAYOR BASS MOVED THEM at 1:30am.' Another comment condemning the mayor said, '@mayorofla @karenbassla You need to resign!!!!!!!' 'Prison is where she needs to be moved', appeared in another comment. The arduous pursuit to push for Billy and Tina's well-being was headed by In Defense of Animals (IDA), but their efforts were fruitless due to the zoo's lack of transparency. 'Moving them in such a shady, secretive manner is highly unethical and shows the LA Zoo's complete lack of humanity and decency for these beloved elephants who have spent the majority of their lives in misery,' said Courtney Scott, an elephant consultant for the IDA. 'Here they are sneaking them out in the middle night. What a contrast to how the Toronto Zoo handled the relocation of their three renaming elephants. 'The Toronto City Council approved their release to a sanctuary in Northern California called the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), and the move was celebrated and documented in broad daylight by news crews for all the world to see. On April 7, the Tulsa Zoo opened its new elephant enclosure. But Dr. Chris Draper called the relocation to the Oklahoma zoo 'reckless' and 'irresponsible' based on his findings after visiting the new location Despite the protests from concerned Angelenos and wildlife organizations, LA Zoo remained steadfast in its decision to pay $44,000 to transport the animals to Tulsa. Director Denise Verret even shifted responsibility, commenting that the celebrities who have been vocal about the elephants' wellbeing, could 'easily raise enough money to cover the cost of retiring Billy and Tina to true elephant sanctuaries'. But contrary to the zoo's monetary concerns, both PAWS and the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee (TES) have made public offers to take in Billy and Tina for the remainder of their lives. And he co-founder of Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary and the non-profit organization Ecoflix, David Casselman, has publicly fought for years to relocate the elephants with offers to transport and provide them lifelong care, free of charge. But Casselman claims this had been met with indifference. And despite the proposal being presented at a recent city council budget hearing, Director Verret claims to have no knowledge of this proposition. 'Along with most Angelenos, I am devastated by the fact that Billy and Tina were allowed/forced to suffer for decades, only to be forced to go to an even less desirable Zoo environment. 'These decisions have always lacked scientific support, human decency, and bring further shame on the L.A. Zoo and the AZA (Association of Zoos and Aquariums),' said Casselman. Verret chairs the AZA's board of directors. LA Zoo director Denise Verrett said moving Billy and Tina to the Tulsa Zoo would cost $44,000, but the celebrity supporters can 'easily raise enough money to cover the cost of retiring Billy and Tina to true elephant sanctuaries' LA Zoo says it needed to move Billy and Tina so they can take part in a Species Survival Plan. Tulsa was chosen because it already has five Asian elephants. . Billy was captured in Malaysia at age four and has spent the last 36 years in LA. Tina was also born wild and caught in 1967, when she was just a year old. After years of abuse and neglect in the circus, she was confiscated in 2009 by the US Department of Agriculture and sent to the San Diego Zoo before she arrived in LA in 2010. But the LA Zoo, Casselman explained, had already had 17 elephants die under their care, including Hannibal, who died when he was improperly medicated in preparation for transfer to another location. And early last year, Shaunzi, a 59-year-old female elephant, collapsed to the ground due to foot and leg degeneration. She could not get back up and died of heart failure and suffocation. World-renowned expert on the animal Dr. Chris Draper, who visited the Tulsa Zoo on May 10, testified in legal documents that it was 'reckless' and 'irresponsible' to send Billy and Tina there. He testified that the conditions at the newly expanded Elephant Experience and Preserve, where the giant beasts will live out their golden years, have a lack of proper terrain which is the animal's number one cause of injury, or adequate shade in an exceedingly hot climate and space. The conditions at the new enclosure were described by Draper as 'inhumane' for the two bulls Sneezy and Hank and three cows Sooky, Booper and Connie already living there. In the wake of their move, Mayor Bass has been called on to resign with countless people taking to social media to vent their disapproval Users have commented the election day date of November 3, 2026, in protest of her re-election following the secret removal of Billy and Tina 'All five of the elephants lack[ed] muscle tone and were not in optimal body condition, and one had a cracked nail,' Draper said in the letter. When explaining one yard's inadequacies, Draper said it was 'disturbingly small, even by zoo standards, with no opportunity for the elephants to get away from each other if they wanted to do so.' After the dead-of-night move, the LA Zoo released a statement saying: 'The decision to move the elephants to the Tulsa Zoo was made with the health and well-being of the individual elephants as the top priority. 'This option also ensured that Billy and Tina would be able to remain together,' the zoo added. Elephant experts worry that Billy who has lived alone for decades will have a challenging time interacting with other elephants, especially in close quarters. This is also the same argument that was made when the LA Zoo spent a whopping $42million on its Elephants of Asia Exhibit in 2010, claiming it would make the animals happier and healthier. But contrary to the zoo's positive claims, a superior court judge later found these claims to have no foundation. The elephants were not happier, healthier or thriving. Casselman who looked at the medical records of the California zoo's past elephants during a 2012 litigation said: 'If I can be blunt, I would summarize the medical records pertaining to the LA Zoo elephants as a repository for every horrible outcome you can imagine involving elephants in captivity. 'Billy and Tina will die in pain at the Tulsa Zoo, in a hopelessly inadequate environment, but Mayor Bass could have changed the narrative and helped restore the City of Angels moniker which has somehow been lost along the way.' Tina was taken into a circus in 1969 at one year old and endured years of abuse before being confiscated by the US Department of Agriculture 'Indeed, the recent fires have tarnished many images in their wake. And this important story involving Billy and Tina is already being covered as international news. As such, it had the power to inject positivity and hope into LA and the world.' Controversy at the LA Zoo doesn't stop at Billy and Tina, it also stretches to Director Verret who is currently locked in a legal battle with the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA), the non-profit organization that has supported the LA Zoo for over sixty years with its fundraising. In a sworn declaration, filed on May 1, GLAZA claimed Verret diverted over $365,000 so she and her staff could travel to places such as Buena Aires, the Canary Islands, Sydney Australia and a 'familiarization trip' to Botswana. An additional $1.7million was directed to outside organizations separately, despite the zoo needing improvements – including $449,000 to the AZA and other organizations where Verret sits on the Board of Directors. Other questionable spending noted includes $22,000 for a private party Verret held to celebrate her new position as Zoo Director and more than $27,500 of donor funds to improve her personal office and her assistant's office, including new patio furniture. 'It's quite evident that Verret's unilateral decision to ship off Billy and Tina to another zoo was motivated by her self-interests and her brand, the AZA,' said Julie Mancuso, founder of the political advocacy group Social Compassion in Legislation. 'Mayor Bass was wrong in assuming that just a mere handful of animal activists cared about the fate of Billy and Tina. 'To prove otherwise, I compiled a list of diverse voices in the community who equally wanted to see the elephants retire to a sanctuary,' said Mancuso who blasted out a public letter signed by Cher and many others to Mayor Bass. But it was too late. Unknown to everyone, the elephants were already in transit to Tulsa. 'Mayor Bass had this golden opportunity to set these elephants free at least and show her compassion for animals once and for all, but she failed miserably. 'She will be remembered as a heartless politician who sent Billy and Tina to their early graves,' said Shira Astrof, Founder and CEO of The Animal Rescue Mission.
21-05-2025
- General
Aging elephants moved from Los Angeles to Tulsa Zoo, but advocates say they should be at a sanctuary
LOS ANGELES -- Billy and Tina, the last remaining elephants at the Los Angeles Zoo, were quietly moved this week to a zoo in Oklahoma despite a pending lawsuit seeking to have them transferred instead to an animal sanctuary where they could live out their days with more room to roam. The announcement last month that Billy, 40, and Tina, 59, would be sent to the Tulsa Zoo angered animal advocates who argue that they would be subjected again to an enclosure that's too small for aging elephants. The move came 'under cover of darkness,' said Jake Davis, an attorney for the Nonhuman Rights Project, which is suing the LA Zoo. Davis said he received reports that the Asian elephants were transferred out about 1:30 a.m. Tuesday to elude protesters who've been staking out the zoo. The nonprofit's lawsuit asked a judge to release Billy and Tina from the LA Zoo and send them to one of two accredited sanctuaries appropriate for elephants where they would have full-time care and ample space. 'At a sanctuary, they could live as nature intended,' Davis said Wednesday. 'They need massive swaths of land; they need varied terrain.' The LA Zoo said in a statement Wednesday that the elephants 'have arrived safely at the Tulsa Zoo,' but didn't say when the transfer occurred. The move was necessary because the Tulsa Zoo has other Asian elephants who will provide important socialization for Billy and Tina because 'keeping them in larger groups is crucial for their well-being,' especially at their advanced age, the LA Zoo statement said. Asian elephants typically live around 60 years. A move to a sanctuary was considered, but the Tulsa Zoo was the top recommendation based on the standards of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Elephant Species Survival Plan, which considers 'space, herd dynamics, and expertise of the staff,' the LA Zoo said. 'This option also ensured that Billy and Tina would be able to remain together," the statement said. Davis said he expects the Los Angeles lawsuit will be dismissed but his group will not give up the fight to get Billy and Tina a sanctuary retirement home. He said his team is exploring legal options in Oklahoma. The Tulsa Zoo didn't immediately reply to a request for comment. A separate lawsuit filed this month by an LA resident sought to halt the elephants' transfer, but a judge denied an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order. That lawsuit includes a declaration by the singer Cher, who has advocated for the elephants for years, the Los Angeles Times reported. 'Billy and Tina have served their time in confinement,' Cher said in the declaration. 'They deserve the chance to live out their lives in peace and dignity.' Zoos across the country have been targeted in recent years by animal activists who criticize living conditions for elephants. Broadly, some elephant experts say urban zoos simply don't have the space that elephants, who roam extensive distances in the wild, need for a normal life. Some larger zoos such as the Toronto Zoo and San Francisco Zoo have phased out their elephant programs, sending their aging animals to sanctuaries that have far more space. But other zoos say they are committed to keeping elephants and are turning to breeding, arguing that a sustainable population of zoo elephants will help spur a commitment to wildlife conservation among future generations of visitors. lost in court in 2022. The group then filed similar papers in California to try to free the Fresno Chaffee Zoo 's three African elephants but a judge ruled against the group.
