Demonstrators Converge at Beastly Ball to Urge L.A. Zoo to Free Billy

Los Angeles, Calif.—Members of In Defense of Animals (IDA) and Los Angeles Alliance for Elephants will greet attendees of L.A. Zoo’s annual fundraiser urging the Zoo to scrap plans to build a costly new elephant exhibit and send Billy the elephant to a sanctuary.

What: Demonstration at L.A. Zoo’s Beastly Ball
When: Saturday, June 16th, 6:00 - 6:30 p.m.
Where: L.A. Zoo, in front of main entrance

The protest comes on the heels of the anniversary of the death of Gita, the 48-year old Indian elephant at L.A. Zoo who suffered for years from painful chronic foot disease and arthritis that were a direct result of inadequate zoo conditions.

The sole elephant at L.A. Zoo, Billy stands in a small and barren pen, isolated from others of his kind. He repetitively bobs his head up and down, an abnormal stereotypic behavior for elephants related to stress and boredom.

L.A. Zoo is moving forward with plans to build a controversial $40 million dollar elephant exhibit, using taxpayer money. Critics warn that the enclosure will be outdated before it is even built. “Zoo donors should be horrified to learn that millions of dollars are being poured into an exhibit that still will not provide elephants the space and conditions necessary for good physical and psychological health,” said IDA spokesperson Bill Dyer.

In the wild, elephants walk tens of miles a day. The planned exhibit will be 3.5-acres subdivided into four yards, to hold as many as 10 elephants. IDA is calling on the Zoo and Mayor Villaraigosa to abandon plans to construct the new elephant exhibit, and instead send Billy to a sanctuary like the PAWS facility where Ruby, a former L.A. Zoo elephant, currently thrives.

“Without vast space to allow for movement, elephants will continue to suffer and die at L.A. Zoo. We are calling on zoo donors and patrons to use their influence to convince the zoo to scrap this plan that is bad for elephants and bad for taxpayers,” continued Dyer.

For more information, please visit www.helpelephants.com.