The Los Angeles Zoo recently announced that its last two elephants, Billy and Tina, have arrived at the Tulsa Zoo. In Defense of Animals is calling this clandestine move a shameless betrayal of the public trust — and of the elephants themselves — who deserved recovery in a sanctuary, not confinement in Tulsa’s overcrowded and inadequate exhibit. The move has provoked a tidal wave of public opposition, celebrity backlash, and legal action.

We are devastated that Billy and Tina's chance to heal in a sanctuary after years of zoo abuse has been snatched away, condemning them to die in Tulsa Zoo’s overcrowded exhibit. All zoos cause elephants to suffer brain damage and lifetimes of deprivation in barren, minuscule exhibits. It’s time for every zoo still exhibiting elephants to send them to true sanctuaries to recover and stop breeding more elephants who will only die in captivity.

For years, In Defense of Animals, along with many animal rights organizations, attorneys, politicians, lawyers, and thousands of advocates, has worked tirelessly to get Billy and Tina to a true sanctuary home. 

In Defense of Animals supporters alone sent over 21,000 emails to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council, and more than 18,000 messages to Zoo Director Denise Verret and Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) President Dan Ashe.

Verret — who sits on the AZA Board — has come under fire for alleged self-dealing and misuse of public donations. According to Social Compassion in Legislation, $1.7 million was diverted from the zoo, including roughly $450,000 to the AZA (68-72). Other questionable use of public funds given for animals includes office renovations (66-67), international travel (73-83), and even a private party thrown in Verret’s honor (62-65).

Councilmember Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion in April requiring the zoo to explore sanctuary options. However, before the council could act, the zoo moved forward, thwarting public discourse and transparency. 

Although the zoo claims it “evaluated all available options, including AZA-accredited sanctuaries,” this was never shared with the public or city officials before the zoo’s announcement — a move that appears disingenuous at best.

The Tulsa Zoo earned a spot on In Defense of Animals’ 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in 2022 for falsely claiming that its new “preserve” marked a meaningful improvement for its elephants. Tulsa’s elephant enclosure is severely cramped, unnatural, and harmful to elephant health. Adding Billy and Tina will make seven elephants jammed into an enclosure less than one percent the size of their smallest natural range.

Instead of roaming on acres of lush grassland, foraging on plants, trees, and roots, enjoying the serenity and quiet of a more natural environment, and choosing how to spend their days, Billy and Tina are now confined once again to a small, barren enclosure, with no hope of healing from their advanced zoochotic behavior and numerous physical ailments caused by decades in a zoo.

We call out the Los Angeles Zoo for its scandalous and unethical treatment of Billy and Tina — if the elephants were truly “beloved,” they’d have been sent to sanctuary years ago. Tulsa Zoo is unfit for Billy and Tina — they should go to a true sanctuary instead of a fake “preserve.” Tulsa Zoo’s new exhibit isn’t fit for a single elephant, let alone seven. This is not conservation; it's cruelty.

High-profile celebrities, including Cher, Kim Basinger, Lily Tomlin, and Bill Maher, signed a letter urging Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to order the zoo to retire the elephants to a sanctuary instead of another zoo. 

Among those outraged is actor and advocate Alicia Silverstone, who publicly rallied her fans to stop the transfer: “LA! Please call to help Free Billy and Tina ????????” she tweeted, tagging @KarenBassLA and @MayorOfLA. On Facebook, she urged her followers: “LA! Please help!” — alongside an In Defense of Animals graphic urging people to call the mayor.

In a powerful escalation, the Nonhuman Rights Project has now filed a groundbreaking lawsuit seeking a habeas corpus hearing and legal personhood recognition for the elephants.

Billy has already been subjected to highly invasive sperm extraction procedures for artificial insemination 50 times at the Los Angeles Zoo. It is part of the AZA’s Species Survival Plan, a desperate attempt to breed baby elephants to replace those dying in zoos at shocking rates, far outstripping wild mortality.

Your help is still needed! We strongly encourage you to contact these two councilmembers to urge them to make the LA Zoo Director, Denise Verret, provide sanctuary options as instructed in Motion 25-0446. 

Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson (District 8)
Email: Councilmember.Harris-Dawson@lacity.org
Phone: 213-473-7008

Councilmember Ysabel J. Jurado (District 14)
Email: Councilmember.Jurado@lacity.org
Phone: 213-473-7014

Thank you for caring.