UPDATE (5/21/25) — The Tulsa Zoo said Asian elephants Billy and Tina have arrived safely from Los Angeles.
According to the zoo, the elephants made it after a 26-hour road trip that included multiple breaks for water and food.
However, many in Los Angeles are unhappy with the elephants' transportation to Tulsa.
Jake Davis, an attorney for the Nonhuman Rights Project, told the Associated Press that the elephants were moved "under the cover of darkness" to allegedly avoid protestors and other animal rights groups protesting the elephants moving to the Tulsa Zoo.
This controversy comes amid multiple lawsuits protesting the elephants transfer to another zoo, with many animal rights groups stating they believe the elephants will have a better quality of life in an accredited sanctuary.
Council for John Kelly—the LA resident who filed one of the initial lawsuits—Lavely and Singer, Melissa Lerner, stated, "From the beginning, this decision was made behind closed doors. Mrs. Denise Verit, who is the appointed director of the zoo, refused to provide any information about how she reached that decision, what other options were considered ectara
In a statement given to the Associated Press by the LA Zoo, the organization said they considered sending the elephants to a sanctuary, but eventually found the Tulsa Zoo to be the best place for the elephants based on "space, herd dynamics, and expertise of the staff."
The LA Zoo also said socialization was an important factor since the Tulsa Zoo has other Asian elephants, stating, "keeping them in larger groups is crucial for [Billy and Tina's] well-being" at an older age.
Davis' nonprofit filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in Los Angeles, requesting Tina and Billy be sent to an accredited sanctuary instead of the Tulsa Zoo.
He told the Associated Press that Nonhuman Rights Project are considering legal options in Oklahoma since the elephants are now in Tulsa.
The Tulsa Zoo said the elephants will spend a few weeks getting settled in before they're available for guests to see.
FOX23 will follow this for updates.
UPDATE (5/15/25) — The Tulsa Zoo said the request to block the move of Asian elephants Billy and Tina from the Los Angeles Zoo was denied.
The lawsuit alleges Director of the L.A. Zoo made "deliberately false and misleading representations" to make the public believe sending Billy and Tina to a newly expanded elephant preserve in Tulsa, meant they were going to a genuine elephant sanctuary.
Tulsa Zoo released a statement on the denied request:
"For us, nothing changes. We’re proud to continue the incredible wellbeing Los Angeles Zoo team has provided. Tulsa Zoo is the right choice because we have a caring, expert team, a welcoming herd and the facilities to give Billy and Tina an amazing next chapter."
The zoo said it is grateful for community support. FOX23 will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
A lawsuit was filed to stop the transfer of Asian elephants Billy and Tina from the L.A. Zoo to the Tulsa Zoo.
FOX23 told you last month when Tulsa Zoo announced that Billy, a 40-year-old bull, and Tina, a 59-year-old female, would relocate from Los Angeles to The Mary K. and John T. Oxley Family Elephant Experience and Elephant Preserve later this year.
Last year, Tulsa Zoo opened a new 36,650-square-foot elephant barn and added about two acres of dedicated yard space.
Earlier this month, the zoo opened The Mary K. and John T. Oxley Family Elephant Experience.
The new preserve, which adds another 10 acres, will be ready for exploration this summer, the announcement said.
The lawsuit, filed by L.A. resident and animal lover John Kelly against Director of the L.A. Zoo Denise Verret, alleges Verret made "deliberately false and misleading representations" to make the public believe sending Billy and Tina to a newly expanded elephant preserve meant they were going to a genuine elephant sanctuary.
"The 'preserve' is an enclosure at another zoo where Billy and Tina will continue to suffer," the lawsuit said.
According to the lawsuit, Billy has been at the center of efforts by animal activists, legal experts, scientists, civil rights leaders and concerned citizens to release him from confinement and the "inhumane, devastating conditions" at the L.A. Zoo for years.
These efforts went toward the goal "to convince the L.A. Zoo and the City to send him to an elephant sanctuary accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Services (GFAS)," the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit also said there has been public support for Tina to be moved to a GFAS-accredited sanctuary along with Billy following the deaths of elephants Jewel and Shaunzi at the L.A. Zoo in 2023 and 2024.
"While the Los Angeles City Council directed the L.A. Zoo to provide detailed reports after Jewel's and Shaunzi's deaths by May 15, 2024 via a unanimous motion (14-0), the L.A. Zoo ignored this directive, and in response to follow-up requests, Verret said she was working on it and just needed more time," the lawsuit said. "In reality, she was secretly developing a plan to relocate the elephants to another zoo without involving the City Council or informing the general public."
The lawsuit alleges the L.A. Zoo is a "cruel, inhumane and traumatic place for elephants where Billy and Tina suffer each day, isolated in restrictive enclosures with little shade, forced to stand on hard packed sand that has caused severe damage to their feet."
The lawsuit goes on to discuss the ways the zoo environment is inhumane and how zoo enclosures cause elephants severe physical and mental harm.
It said elephants confined in zoos often suffer from "zoochosis," "a form of severe mental illness caused by confinement in a limited space, not being able to engage in instinctive behaviors, living in isolation and having no control over their lives."
"Zoochosis" is characterized by "meaningless, repetitive motions such as rocking, swaying and bobbing (stereotypic behaviors), often with a blank look in their eyes," the lawsuit said. It said those stereotypic behaviors are not seen in elephants in the wild.
The lawsuit goes on to say the L.A. Zoo released a mass email last month announcing the decision to move Billy and Tina which included a statement from Verret.
According to the lawsuit, Verret said "the decision was made with Billy and Tina's health, wellbeing, and future as our top priority" and would "provide them with the opportunity to live among other elephants in an enriched environment."
The lawsuit alleges Verret deliberately used the term "preserve" and "repeated references to Billy's and Tina's future and wellbeing and opportunities for socialization with other elephants to trick members of the public like Plaintiff John Kelly into believing that she and the L.A. Zoo had chosen for Billy and Tina to live out the rest of their days at an accredited sanctuary instead of a zoo."
The lawsuit said with the addition of Billy and Tina at Tulsa Zoo, there will be seven elephants on 11 acres, "or approximately 1.57 acres per elephant, slightly more than the approximately one acre per elephant at the L.A. Zoo."
The lawsuit said no matter how large the zoo exhibit, it's not enough for the species.
On Monday, Verret appeared at City Hall before the City Council's Budget and Finance Committee.
When asked if she could promise Billy and Tina would not be moved until the City Council had a chance to review and vote on the matter, Verret responded, "I can promise you that I am always going to make decisions that are for the best interest of the animals at the zoo, including the elephants."
The lawsuit included a declaration from singer Cher:
"As the co-founder and trustee of Free The Wild, an international charity dedicated to ending the suffering of wild animals in captivity, I've seen firsthand what it takes to rescue, rehabilitate and safely relocate elephants to sanctuaries," the declaration from Cher said in part. "The Tulsa Zoo is not a sanctuary. Billy and Tina have served their time in confinement. They deserve the chance to live out their lives in peace and dignity."
See below for the full lawsuit and other court documents:
Lawsuit filed to stop transfer of Asian elephants from L.A. Zoo to Tulsa Zoo
Tulsa Zoo provided FOX23 with the following statement:
