Latest news with #LosAngelesZoo
CBS News
7 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Possible person with gun in Griffith Park causes freeway ramp closures
Access to Griffith Park in Los Angeles was limited Tuesday morning as authorities investigated reports of a man with a gun. The report came in at about 4:38 a.m., according to the L.A. Police Department. Officers investigated the suspect in the 4700 block of Western Heritage Way, which is around the parking area for the Autry Museum of the American West, across from the Los Angeles Zoo. As of 7:45 a.m., there were no arrests made, and no suspect description was available. The LAPD was not calling it a barricade situation as of 7:45 a.m. Officers with the LAPD were investigating a man with a gun report in Griffith Park on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. No additional details were made available by police. Images captured by SkyCAL showed at least five marked police vehicles surrounding a black SUV in a parking lot on Tuesday morning. Several officers were standing outside their vehicles. According to the California Highway Patrol, the Zoo Drive off-ramps were closed on the westbound lanes of the 134 Freeway and the northbound lanes of the 5 Freeway for an unknown duration of time.
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.
NBC News
22-05-2025
- General
- NBC News
Aging elephants quietly moved from L.A. to Tulsa Zoo should be in sanctuary, advocates say
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 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 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 L.A. 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 L.A. 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 L.A. 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 L.A. 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 L.A. 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 L.A. 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 the 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.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
L.A. Zoo Elephants Billy and Tina Moved to Tulsa Zoo
Elephants Billy, 40, and Tina, 59, have been relocated from the Los Angeles Zoo to the Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma, as confirmed by zoo officials on Wednesday morning. This move follows the Zoo's April 22 announcement to transfer its two remaining Asian elephants to Tulsa's newly expanded Elephant Experience and Tuesday, the elephants' enclosures at the LA Zoo appeared empty, prompting speculation from zoo visitors that the animals had been moved overnight without public notice. The decision to relocate was made to allow the elephants to live in a more spacious environment. The Tulsa Zoo, their new home, includes a 17-acre area with a 36,650-square-foot elephant barn and a 10-plus-acre wooded elephant preserve. This facility is already home to five Asian elephants, and the addition of Billy and Tina allows them to join a larger herd. Animal rights groups have long pushed for the elephants to be moved from LA to a location with more space. However, some critics argue that the Tulsa Zoo does not qualify as a true sanctuary.L.A. City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, a vocal advocate for the elephants, filed a City Council motion last month seeking to pause the animals' relocation until council members could review the possibility of sending them to a sanctuary. He told the LA Times on Tuesday that the "quick turnaround" for the elephants "does make you wonder if folks are trying to get this done quickly to avoid further scrutiny.""That speaks volumes that it's obviously not the right thing," said Blumenfield. The Los Angeles Zoo has stated that it will pause its elephant program and reimagine the Elephants of Asia exhibit for other suitable species and programming.
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.
