LA Zoo to relocate two elephants to preserve in Tulsa

LOS ANGELES (KESQ) - After years of debate over the welfare of the animals, the Los Angeles Zoo announced today it will relocate its two remaining Asian elephants to a newly expanded preserve at the Tulsa Zoo.   

The elephants -- 40-year-old Billy and 59-year-old Tina -- will be moved to the Elephant Experience and Preserve in Tulsa. 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.''  

"The decision is driven by the L.A. Zoo's unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of all the animals in its care,'' according to a statement from the zoo. ``Following the move, the Zoo will pause its elephant program for the immediate future. The Zoo will continue to support Asian elephant conservation programs and the Elephants of Asia exhibit will be reimagined for other suitable species and programming.''   

Zoo officials said they have been evaluating the elephant exhibit since the deaths of two other elephants -- Jewel, age 61, in 2023, and Shaunzi, age 53, in 2024 -- although they said those animals were in ``declining health due to issues unrelated to the zoo's enclosure or care.''

The facility at the Tulsa Zoo is currently home to five Asian elephants. The preserve covers 17 acres, including a 36,650-square-foot elephant barn and a 10-plus-acre wooded elephant preserve.

The move ``will allow Billy and Tina to continue receiving exceptional care with opportunities to integrate with a larger herd,'' according to the zoo.

A date for the elephants to be moved has not been set.    Zoo officials also noted the decision was not impacted by the city's budget deficit, and it was reached in consultation with the Association of Zoos
and Aquariums and its Elephant Species Survival Plan, as well as Taxon Advisory Group.  

The zoo plans to put its elephant program on hold after relocating Billy and Tina. In order for the zoo to bring in elephants, it would need to meet social and gender requirements outlined in the AZA Accreditation Standards. Currently, creating a larger social herd at the facility is not a
viable option, in part due to the limited availability of Asian elephants.

Courtney Scott, an elephant consultant for In Defense of Animals, said in an email to City News Service that she was disappointed by the decision to relocate the elephants to another zoo instead of a sanctuary, as they have been petitioning the L.A. Zoo to do for the last 20 years.

Scott said the Tulsa Zoo's exhibit is far from enough space to accommodate the needs of far-roaming elephants.   

``These two elephants have been existing in a constricted, barren zoo exhibit for decades, enduring physical and mental suffering. It is really tragic that they are not getting the opportunity to live the rest of their lives as the wild, free elephants they were born to be,'' Scott said.

In March, philanthropist and retired trial lawyer David Casselman offered to fully fund the relocation and lifetime care of the elephants to Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, a spacious refuge Casselman co-founded.

In his remarks, Casselman said the city doesn't have to pay anything, just get out of the way.  

``We can crate Billy, we can take Tina with him, and we can move them to Cambodia -- they'll have all the space in the most lovely existence for an elephant you can imagine,'' Casselman said. ``All we need to do is convince the City Council to just let them go.''

Casselman cited the successful relocation and recovery of Kaavan, ``the world's loneliest elephant,'' who was transferred from the Islamabad Zoo to Cambodia.

According to Scott, the zoo did not consult with Casselman. There were also sanctuaries in the United States zoo officials could have considered as well, she added.

Animal advocates have called on L.A. to release the elephants, who they say are suffering from ``grave distress'' and medical conditions due to the limited confines at the facility.

Max Pulsinelli, a spokesman for the zoo, said in an email to CNS that neither In Defense of Animals nor Mr. Casselman contacted or presented them with an offer.

"Even if we had, the cost of the move and activist agendas are not taken into consideration, only the wellbeing of the individual animals. Animal care decisions are made by animal care experts and zoo professionals within the context of the AZA Accreditation Standards,'' Pulsinelli said.