Despite a stream of steady protests and objections since the announcement that Billy and Tina the elephants would be transferred from the Los Angeles Zoo to the Tulsa Zoo, the aging pachyderms have arrived in Oklahoma.
The L.A. Zoo confirmed in a statement Wednesday morning that Billy and Tina arrived safely at the Tulsa Zoo after a 22-hour journey together by truck in separate ventilated containers. The drive took place overnight in hopes of optimal temperatures for the animals and minimal traffic, but the zoo did not provide further details on when the move began or the exact arrival time in Tulsa.
The statement came after advocates for the animals were concerned at the sight of an empty elephant enclosure at the L.A. Zoo on Tuesday.
Advocates have long criticized the L.A. Zoo for its small enclosure size for elephants and the history of deaths and health challenges among its inhabitants.
The zoo said the deaths of elephants Jewel, 61, in 2023 and Shaunzi, 53, in 2024 meant the elephant program in L.A. was not in accordance with the standards set by the Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums that require zoos to have at least three Asian elephants in an enclosure because of their social nature. The only options from there, to maintain AZA accreditation, were to transfer the two remaining elephants, Billy and Tina, or add more elephants to the small enclosure.
In its statement, the zoo reiterated that it evaluated all available options, including AZA accredited sanctuaries, as activists had been pushing for. The zoo also said Mayor Karen Bass “inquired” about moving the elephants to a sanctuary, but that the decision was made at the recommendation of the AZA and its Elephant Species Survival Plan.
The Tulsa Zoo was the top choice from the AZA, according to the statement, because of the size of the enclosure (over 130 acres of space and a 36,650-square-foot barn), the five Asian elephants already there and the fact that Billy and Tina could stay together.
The chair of the AZA is the L.A. Zoo’s Director and Chief Executive Denise Verret.
“Although they will be missed, we are grateful for the outpouring of support from our members, volunteers, staff, and the more than 1.5 million guests who visit the Los Angeles Zoo annually,” the zoo said in its statement. “As they begin their new chapter, we know that Billy and Tina will receive the same love and expert individualized care that they have had at the Los Angeles Zoo.”
The zoo created an FAQ page on its website with additional details about the decision-making process for the transfer, which has been under scrutiny from animal activists and City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, a longtime advocate of the elephants.
The website also details the specifics of the moving process, saying the elephants were trained using “positive reinforcement methods” to voluntarily enter the large, ventilated shipping containers that they were transported in.
They were secured using fabric- or leather-lined bracelets, which they wore prior to moving day to get used to how they felt.
The journey by truck was taken straight through, with short breaks and checks by the team of caregivers. Other zoos along the route were “on stand-by” to assist if there was an emergency in transit, according to the FAQ page.
The L.A. Zoo paid $44,000 for the transfer, splitting the cost with the Tulsa Zoo. The zoo said the cost will “have no impact” on the 2025-26 L.A. City budget.
With the empty space where Billy and Tina lived, the L.A. Zoo will “reimagine” the area for other suitable species and programming and will pause its elephant program for the immediate future.
Billy and Tina’s transfer took place despite a motion by Blumenfield in City Council last month to pause the move until council members could review the possibility of sending them to a sanctuary and two pending lawsuits regarding the relocation.
John Kelly, a Los Angeles resident, filed a lawsuit May 9 seeking to halt the elephants’ transfer, but a judge denied an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order in the case last week. On Tuesday, the Nonhuman Rights Project filed a petition in court seeking recognition of the elephants’ “right to liberty” and their release to an accredited sanctuary.
Elizabeth Stein, the litigation director at the Nonhuman Rights Project, said in a statement Wednesday morning, “We still have viable legal options to secure Billy and Tina’s freedom in an elephant sanctuary, and we’re not stopping.”
