| LOS ANGELES, CA – After decades of relentless community advocacy, impassioned pleas from celebrities, expert recommendations, and even a judge’s ruling in favor of a sanctuary, the Los Angeles Zoo is now quietly preparing to transfer its two elephants, Billy and Tina, – not to a sanctuary, but to another zoo. Despite overwhelming public support for retirement to a peaceful sanctuary, sources have revealed that Billy and Tina may be moved as early as Monday to the Tulsa Zoo, which is rumored to intend to use Billy for a forced breeding program.This decision is not just heartbreaking, it is a betrayal. It defies reason, justice, and the decades-long battle fought by Angelenos, animal welfare experts, and even members of our own City Council. In a stunning act of disregard, Los Angeles Zoo Director Denise Verret – under Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ leadership – is moving forward with this plan without transparency, public input, or accountability.
Los Angeles Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, a vocal advocate for Billy and Tina, formally requested a report on their wellbeing over a year ago. The Motion by Blumenfield, which was approved on May 17, 2024, asked for a report within 30 days on the deaths of Shaunzi and Jewel, out of concern for them and for the future of Billy and Tina. It was approved unanimously by the City Council, but the report only came a few days after the zoo director announced she was moving Billy and Tina to the Tulsa Zoo just a few weeks ago.
In response to the LA Zoo’s misleading public statements and its secretive attempt to move the elephants to a facility that has been falsely marketed as a “preserve” but is, in fact, a zoo with a long and troubling history, long-time LA resident John Kelly has filed a lawsuit seeking an emergency injunction to halt the transfer of Billy and Tina.
The lawsuit demands that the elephants’ future be decided through an open, transparent process grounded in science and public interest, not secret deals. At the very least, the legal action asks the court to pause any move until the City Council can fully consider the motion introduced by Councilmember Blumenfield regarding their welfare.
The Zoo claims, without basis, that it is acting in the best interests of its elephants. But the truth is just the opposite. After seven years of litigation and a full trial on the merits of their claims, Judge John Segal, now an appellate Justice, found that the L.A. Zoo hopelessly lacks the expertise to care for elephants. For decades, their elephants suffer, then die prematurely, in horrific pain.
“There is no benefit for the elephants in this potential move to Tulsa -it is clear that the LA Zoo is only transferring Billy and Tina to another zoo, so they do not die on their watch. In doing so, they are ignoring the opportunity to give them a real home at one of many qualified sanctuaries around the world,” said Judie Mancuso, Founder and President of Social Compassion in Legislation. “It is a step backward at the very moment the city has a chance to do the right thing.”
In particular, Billy’s story is one that has moved millions: an elephant kept alone for years, swaying from psychological distress, standing on unforgiving concrete, far from the wild-born life he was meant to live. For years, scientists and welfare groups cited his case as a textbook example of why wild animals do not belong in urban zoos. And for years, his placement at a sanctuary remained the north star.
The Zoo’s quiet decision to remove Billy and Tina now, without ensuring they will finally know peace, erodes public trust, and stains the legacy of every official who claims to care for animal welfare, yet is allowing this to happen.
“Moving Billy and Tina to another zoo with slightly more space does not address the fundamental mismatch between captivity and elephant biology. In my professional opinion, transporting them to the Tulsa Zoo without public review and assurance of their wellbeing would be irresponsible.” —Dr. Chris Draper, world-renowned expert on elephants in captivity.
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