US EditionMan files lawsuit to prevent LA Zoo from relocating two Asian elephants to animal preserve in Oklahoma | News Channel 3-12
- A Los Angeles resident, John Kelly, filed a lawsuit on May 9, 2025, to block the transfer of two Asian elephants, Billy and Tina, from the Los Angeles Zoo to the Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma.
- The lawsuit arises from concerns that the Los Angeles Zoo secretly decided on the Tulsa relocation without public or elected official input, misleading the community to believe the elephants were going to a sanctuary.
- Advocates emphasize that Tulsa's 17-acre 'Elephant Experience and Preserve' is a slightly larger zoo enclosure housing seven elephants on about 11 total acres, which does not meet sanctuary standards for these far-roaming animals.
- Cher, a long-time supporter of Billy and Tina, expressed deep sadness upon learning that the Los Angeles Zoo intends to transfer the elephants to a different zoo instead of relocating them to a sanctuary, underscoring the ongoing challenges they face in captivity.
- The lawsuit seeks an injunction to prevent relocation to Tulsa or any unaccredited zoo and demands transfer to a Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries-accredited facility, reflecting ongoing debate over elephant welfare and decision transparency.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Denver Gazette
The Brunswick NewsAs LA resident sues zoo over Billy and Tina, Cher says elephants have 'served their time'
LOS ANGELES — The decadeslong controversy over the Los Angeles Zoo's elephants is intensifying, even after officials announced that Billy and Tina will be moved to a zoo in Oklahoma where they will have more room to roam.
Man files lawsuit to prevent LA Zoo from relocating two Asian elephants to animal preserve in Oklahoma | News Channel 3-12
By Lauren Pozen Click here for updates on this story LOS ANGELES (KCAL, KCBS) — Animal advocates held a small protest on Sunday outside the Los Angeles Zoo opposing the relocation of two Asian elephants to a zoo in Oklahoma. Participants said moving Billy and Tina, 40 and 59, to the Elephant Experience and Preserve in Tulsa would do more harm than good. They support a lawsuit that they hope will let the elephants spend their final years out …
"They Lived Hell": Dear Militia for Elephants at Los Angeles Zoo to Integrate Sanctuary
The American singer accuses the Californian zoological complex of having "deceived the audience" by deciding on the transfer of Billy and Tina, two pachyderms, to Tulsa Zoo, Oklahoma.
TMZ
unstore.com.npCher Says L.A. Zoo Elephants Billy & Tina Have Done Their Time, Should Be Free
Cher’s stepping up for the L.A. Zoo elephants, saying they’ve been through enough -- and while their reported Oklahoma move might offer more space, a zoo’s still a cage ... just with a bigger backyard. The icon, who’s been fighting for…
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