TULSA, Okla. (May 23, 2025) — The clandestine overnight shipment of the last two Los Angeles Zoo elephants — Billy and Tina — to the overcrowded Tulsa Zoo has provoked a tidal wave of public opposition, celebrity backlash, and legal action.

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. 

The Tulsa Zoo made the 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in 2022 for the deceptive promotion of its expanded “preserve.” In reality, millions of dollars were spent to add just a few acres — doing little to nothing to improve the elephants’ lives. 

Comedian, actor, and HBO host Bill Maher made the point clear in 2022: “Elephants lead miserable lives in zoos, and larger exhibits won’t ease their suffering. These majestic animals don’t benefit in any way from being on public display. This list of 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants is truly alarming, and I stand with In Defense of Animals against the captivity of elephants in zoos.”

The transfer defies years of advocacy from In Defense of Animals and a broad coalition of legal experts, lawmakers, and animal advocates who have long fought for Billy and Tina’s right to a true sanctuary.

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 and Tina should be in a sanctuary — not the Tulsa Zoo,” said Marilyn Kroplick, M.D., President and CEO of In Defense of Animals. “All zoos cause elephants to suffer brain damage and lifetimes of deprivation in barren, minuscule exhibits. Only sanctuaries offer healing from zoo abuse. We will not let Billy and Tina die in Tulsa Zoo’s overcrowded exhibit without a fight.”

Just weeks ago, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion calling for sanctuary consideration. But the zoo moved ahead without transparency — or decency. He called out the zoo director for claiming last week that the move was not imminent, then blindsiding Los Angeles city officials and the public by moving the elephants in the middle of the night. 

Blumenfield condemned the move, and said in a statement that “Angelenos are deeply invested in their well being and the public deserved a transparent process considering all options before a decision was made.”

“When you are proud of your actions and secure in the righteousness of those actions you don’t move in the shadow of the night and you don’t hide from public scrutiny.”

The public outcry has been massive. In Defense of Animals supporters alone sent more than 21,000 emails to Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council, and more than 18,000 messages to Dan Ashe, President of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), and AZA Board Chair and Zoo Director Denise Verret. 

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).

Tulsa’s new expanded elephant enclosure is still severely cramped, unnatural, and harmful to elephant health. With the addition of Billy and Tina, seven elephants are now confined to an enclosure less than one percent the size of their smallest natural range.

“They are now in prison, and there's even talk that Billy is going to be used in a breeding program. That's like torture on top of torture,” said Judie Mancuso, founder of Social Compassion in Legislation.

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.

Instead of roaming on acres of lush grassland, foraging on 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 space that causes physical pain, psychological suffering, and offers no hope of healing from their advanced zoothotic behavior and numerous physical ailments caused by decades of zoo captivity.

“The Tulsa Zoo now inherits the shame the Los Angeles Zoo has tried to pass off,” said Courtney Scott, Elephant Consultant for In Defense of Animals. “Tulsa Zoo’s new exhibit isn’t fit for one elephant — let alone seven. The tide of public opinion has turned. Over 40 zoos have now shut or pledged to shut their elephant exhibits. We urge Tulsa Zoo to do what Los Angeles failed to do — send Billy and Tina to sanctuary and be on the right side of history. The world is watching.”

Members of the public are encouraged to contact Los Angeles Mayor Bass and city councilmembers, and AZA officials to demand the release of Billy and Tina to sanctuary.

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Contact: Courtney Scott, courtney@idausa.org, 503-288-6142

Images: https://bit.ly/BillyTina

Tulsa Zoo #8 Worst Zoo for Elephants in North America 2022

Los Angeles Zoo #1 Worst Zoo for Elephants in North America 2024

The 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America list was first published in 2004, and for the past 20 years, In Defense of Animals has shone a spotlight on zoos that condemn elephants to lifetimes of deprivation, disease, and early death. Over the years, the 10 Worst Zoos list has been featured by hundreds of media outlets, including the Daily Mail, Esquire, and the New York Times and it has garnered the support of celebrities like Bill Maher, Sarah Silverman, Jorja Fox, Moby, Harley Quinn Smith, and Ricky Gervais. Learn how the list is determined and explore two decades of rankings at www.idausa.org/10worstzoos.

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a history of fighting for animals, people, and the environment through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities in California, India, South Korea, and rural Mississippi since 1983. www.idausa.org/elephants

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