It was in 2015 that I read about elephant sanctuaries and the possibility of relief and healing for traumatized individuals forced into captivity far from home, community, and everything they know. As a result, I decided to visit the Los Angeles Zoo and see for myself the elephants confined in my city.
That was the day I met Billy, the male Asian elephant held in Los Angeles since 1989. When I saw him bobbing his head, alone in the corner of a small, dismal exhibit, I sat down and cried. That day, I witnessed everything I was learning about the impact of zoo captivity on an elephant’s body, mind, and spirit.
As a mother, I was heartbroken that Billy was taken from his mother as an infant, and I vowed to advocate for his release to a sanctuary. I co-founded Elephant Guardians of Los Angeles, a grassroots organization dedicated to the release of the elephants held in the Los Angeles Zoo and to the end of wildlife captivity, and we joined the ongoing efforts to free Billy (the campaign also includes Tina, the only female held in Los Angeles after the euthanasia of her two female companions). However, we were up against the entrenched paradigm of dominance supporting the archaic notion that it is acceptable, even educational, to confine wild animals for human amusement and profit. Now, ten years later, this story has taken a tragic but avoidable turn.
In a press release issued April 22, 2025, the Los Angeles Zoo publicly announced plans to relocate Billy and Tina to the Tulsa Zoo despite years of urging by experts, politicians, attorneys, advocates, and the public to release the elephants to an accredited sanctuary. The zoo claimed the move was necessary because they were not in compliance with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) accreditation standards requiring more than two Asian elephants in the exhibit. The Los Angeles Zoo stated that “all available options” for Billy and Tina were explored. The Tulsa Zoo, which already held five Asian elephants, was chosen apparently without input from independent experts.
In response to this announcement, Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield introduced a motion that would provide the Los Angeles City Council the opportunity to consider and vote on all relocation options for Billy and Tina, including appropriate sanctuaries. However, in complete disregard for the pending motion, in the early morning hours of May 20th, 2025, the Los Angeles Zoo loaded both elephants onto a transport truck under cover of darkness and shipped them to Tulsa. Several people went into the zoo on May 20th and found the elephant exhibit quiet and empty. Yet, when people called the zoo to ask about Billy and Tina that day, zoo staff told them that the elephants were in the exhibit and people could purchase a ticket to enter the zoo and see them.
The completed transfer was not announced to the public until May 21st, after Billy and Tina arrived at the Tulsa Zoo. Councilmember Bob Blumenfield issued a statement that said in part: “When you are proud of your actions and secure in the righteousness of those actions you don’t move in the shadow of night and you don’t hide from public scrutiny.”
The Elephants: Their Stories
Billy, a male Asian elephant, was born in Malaysia in 1985. He was captured as an infant and traded to the Los Angeles Zoo in 1989, where he was confined until his recent transfer to the Tulsa Zoo. In the press release regarding the transfer to Tulsa, the Los Angeles Zoo revived the story that Billy “was rescued and he was sent to the Los Angeles Zoo to safely live out his life.” However, based on documents produced by the Los Angeles Zoo, Billy was part of a wildlife trade, not a rescue. He was stolen from his home and forced into a life of captivity and exploitation.
Billy was solitary for most of the time he was held in Los Angeles. For about ten months in 1993 and 1994, Billy was transferred to Have Trunk Will Travel, where it is highly likely he was brutally trained to submit to humans. This organization left California when the bullhook (a weapon used in the training and control of elephants) was banned by the state. The organization now operates under a new name in Texas. In addition, the Los Angeles Zoo subjected Billy to invasive semen collection procedures for captive breeding purposes and held him for decades in conditions that did not meet his needs. Because of the trauma and deprivations of captivity, Billy displays intense headbobbing, which communicates his stress, boredom, and suffering.
Tina, born in 1966, was captured from the wild somewhere in Asia. She was sold into the circus industry where she was forced to travel and perform until she was confiscated by the USDA in 2009, along with her longtime companion Jewel, because of neglect. Tina and Jewel were transferred to the San Diego Zoo, and in 2010 both elephants were loaned to the Los Angeles Zoo where Jewel was euthanized in 2023. Like Billy, Tina was observed to engage in stereotypy in the form of swaying while in Los Angeles. Based on her medical records, Tina suffers from multiple and serious health problems including foot issues, vulvar lesions, straining to defecate and colic. These conditions are caused by the impoverished conditions of captivity such as lack of space, inability to exercise and engage in other natural behaviors, insufficient diet, and hard substrates.
The fourth elephant recently held in Los Angeles, Shaunzi, was captured from Thailand as an infant and sold into the circus industry. In 1983 she was transferred to the Fresno Chaffee Zoo and, after the death of her companion, a grieving Shaunzi was transferred to the Los Angeles Zoo where she was euthanized in 2024. Shaunzi suffered from degenerative joint disease and ulcers on the soles of her feet, among other captivity-related ailments.
Billy and Tina are now in the Tulsa Zoo with five other Asian elephants:
- Booper, female, wild-born in 1972, was transferred to the Tulsa Zoo in 2020 from Riddles Elephant Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Connie, female, wild-born in 1973, was transferred to the Tulsa Zoo in 2024 from the Columbus Zoo. Connie has two deceased offspring.
- Hank, male, was captive-born in January, 1988 at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. He was transferred to the Tulsa Zoo in 2024 from the Columbus Zoo. Hank has two offspring (one deceased and one held at the Columbus Zoo).
- Sneezy, male, was wild-born in 1973, and transferred to the Tulsa Zoo in 1977 from the Memphis Zoo. Sneezy has four deceased offspring.
- Sooky, female, was wild-born in 1972, and transferred to the Tulsa Zoo in 1977 from the Memphis Zoo.
The Tulsa Zoo
In early July 2025, I visited the Tulsa Zoo to verify claims made by the zoo industry that Billy and Tina were acclimating to the new environment and this move was in their best interest. However, I observed seven elephants confined in barren enclosures for public display with little to do to fill their days, their natural way of life thwarted. Different zoo, same sad story.
Both the Los Angeles Zoo and the Tulsa Zoo claim that the Tulsa elephant exhibit is 17 acres. However, this space includes a 36,650-square-foot barn, an elephant interpretation center for humans, viewing decks, walkways and a ten-acre space that is not in use. The Tulsa Zoo claims that the ten-acre “preserve” will be available to the elephants sometime in the future after it is determined that the vegetation is safe and there is less flooding. It also appears this area is federally protected wetlands, leaving many questions regarding when and how this area will actually be accessible to the elephants (there is also the issue of potential damage to a fragile ecosystem when occupied by a large, nonnative species). The Los Angeles Zoo did not disclose this critical information to the public.
With the addition of Billy and Tina, there are now seven elephants in the Tulsa Zoo exhibit, which, similar to Los Angeles, is divided into small enclosures. While I was there, I observed all seven elephants, including Billy and Tina, engaging in stereotypical behaviors (rocking, swaying, headbobbing and pacing), commonly referred to as zoochosis, which communicates their physical, mental and emotional anguish.
These behaviors are an attempt to cope with the physical restrictions and unrelenting stress of the zoo environment caused by lack of space, noise, being on public display, and the inability to engage in natural feeding, movement, and social behaviors. Research indicates that zoochotic behaviors indicate stress, boredom, frustration, and actual brain damage. In a recent paper on the neural consequences of captivity, a team of experts found that impoverished zoo environments not only have negative impacts on physical and psychological health, but also cause deficits in the structures of the brain across species. Experts note that these movements are often observed in captive-held elephants but are not seen in their wild counterparts.
The elephants in the Tulsa Zoo are communicating loud and clear, with every bob and sway, that they are not thriving in this environment. When zoo visitors see elephants displaying these behaviors, they are witnessing traumatized individuals losing their minds in captivity.
Captive Breeding by Zoos
As stated so well by the Nonhuman Rights Project in a recent email:
“[T]he exploitative mentality toward elephants lives on—even in institutions that claim to care most about them. Perhaps nowhere is this more apparent than in the captive breeding of elephants in zoos, which unjustly strip elephants of their autonomy under the guise of conservation.”
On numerous occasions, the Los Angeles Zoo attempted to collect Billy’s semen through a highly invasive procedure that is both physically and psychologically harmful. According to Los Angeles Zoo documents, Billy underwent training for and/or the actual semen collection process at least 55 times between January 20, 2011 and November 14, 2014. While it appears that all attempts by the Los Angeles Zoo to collect Billy’s semen were unsuccessful, the transfer to Tulsa will keep Billy in the AZA captive breeding program and allow the zoo industry to continue trying to forcibly extract his semen.
The AZA elephant breeding program is notoriously unsuccessful. For example, out of the seven elephants held in the Tulsa Zoo, there have been a total of eight offspring through captive breeding. Of those eight infants, only one is still alive, confined in the Columbus Zoo (Frankie, a male sired by Hank and born in 2021).
Some of the issues associated with captive breeding include: infant mortality and the occurrence of stillbirths in captive elephants is significantly higher than would be expected in the wild due to females being impregnated too young, shorter interbirth intervals, and the high mortality rate in captive populations caused by Elephant Endotheliotropic Herpes Virus (EEHV). This virus causes hemorrhagic disease (ruptured blood vessels, catastrophic blood loss, organ failure and/or hemorrhagic shock) and is a main cause of death for captive elephants under the age of eight. Researchers have found EEHV is responsible for about half of all juvenile elephant deaths in European and North American zoos. As a result, the AZA, and member zoos such as the Tulsa Zoo and the Los Angeles Zoo, are not able to maintain a sustainable population of captive elephants. Deaths in North American zoos continue to outpace births. Moreover, captive breeding is not a viable conservation measure. In fact, a recent comprehensive study concluded: “There is very little evidence from governments, international non-governmental organisations and elephant conservation practitioners to support the notion that breeding elephants in zoos is an important form of elephant conservation.” In addition, “Breeding of elephants in zoos, or captivity in general, is not identified by the IUCN SSC Red List as a conservation priority for any species of elephant.”
In short, captive breeding in AZA zoos is a means to replenish elephants for display and exploit baby elephants to attract the ticket-buying public. There is no evidence of plans to return these elephants to their natural habitats, so this practice does not contribute to the recovery or protection of endangered populations in the wild. The AZA captive elephant breeding program is simply a profit-generating enterprise without any conservation value, and it appears Billy will continue to be exploited at the Tulsa Zoo as part of this program.
The Benefits of Sanctuary
Zoo environments, such as the Tulsa Zoo exhibit, do not and cannot meet the complex needs of elephants. The lack of space, stress of public display, noise, unnatural feeding methods, restricted exercise, hard substrates and human-controlled social opportunities cause physical, mental and emotional suffering, as evidenced by the stereotypical behaviors discussed above and observed at the Tulsa Zoo. Physical health concerns include arthritis, foot disease, dental disease, digestive issues, obesity, and heart disease as well as a variety of skin, metabolic and infectious diseases. These consequences of captivity lead to acute suffering and compromised lifespans.
The zoo industry is beginning to recognize that zoos do not have the space or resources to support the health and wellbeing of elephants. As a result, there is a growing trend of releasing elephants held in zoos to sanctuary. As reported by In Defense of Animals, at least 40 zoos have closed or pledged to close their elephant programs, many citing poor welfare and chronic health issues caused by captive conditions, as well as the ethical concerns of holding elephants in captivity.
Although still a form of captivity, sanctuaries accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS) provide a haven for captive-held animals who cannot go back to their natural homes. A major difference between a zoo and a true sanctuary is philosophy. While a zoo has a financial interest in perpetuating the captive industry, sanctuaries exist to provide refuge and care for those forced into captivity. True sanctuaries will no longer be necessary when zoos, circuses, and other institutions of captivity cease to exist.
Benefits of an accredited sanctuary include more space, the ability to engage in natural behaviors such as exploration, foraging, browsing, dust bathing, mud wallowing, access to appropriate vegetation and natural substrates, choices, self-determination, and freedom from the crowds, noise, and pollution of a city zoo. And true sanctuaries do not participate in captive breeding programs. Within the relative peace, quiet, and privacy of sanctuary, immersed in the sounds, sights and smells of nature, elephants are given the chance to heal from a lifetime of trauma. Physical health issues and zoochotic behaviors can be alleviated in a sanctuary environment as autonomy and dignity are restored. We will continue to call for Billy and Tina to finally be released from zoo confinement to start a new life in a sanctuary.
Moving Forward
Los Angeles City Council Motion #25-0446: The motion introduced by Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield is still pending in committee. We are advocating for a full hearing on the motion to address the fact that the Tulsa Zoo was not an appropriate relocation option for Billy and Tina and they need to be released to an accredited sanctuary immediately.
End the Los Angeles Zoo Elephant Program: With the transfer of Billy and Tina to Tulsa, the Los Angeles Zoo has put their elephant program on pause. In Billy and Tina’s honor, we are calling for the elephant program at the Los Angeles Zoo to be permanently closed and for elephants to never again be confined in the City of Los Angeles.
Legal Steps: The Nonhuman Rights Project filed a habeas corpus petition for Billy and Tina in the Los Angeles Superior Court. The petition was dismissed by the trial judge who decided, relying on the dictionary and not on legal precedent, that an elephant does not fall under the definition of “person” for purposes of habeas corpus. The Nonhuman Rights Project is assessing all legal options for moving forward at this point, and we are grateful for their tireless advocacy.
Replace Wildlife Captivity: The outdated and cruel practice of wildlife captivity can be replaced with virtual reality experiences such as holograms, animatronics (like the dinosaur exhibit recently at the Tulsa Zoo), and/or theater presentations. These options provide both educational and entertainment benefits without the cost of confining lonely, traumatized individuals in unnatural environments.
What Supporters Can Do: Please visit the social media of the Nonhuman Rights Project, In Defense of Animals, Last Chance for Animals, Los Angeles for Animals, Free the Oregon Zoo Elephants and Elephant Guardians of Los Angeles for updates and calls to action. Please participate and share! Join us in calling for the release of Billy and Tina to a sanctuary along with the five other elephants confined in the Tulsa Zoo, as well as Lucy in the Edmonton Valley Zoo, Happy and Patty in the Bronx Zoo, Chendra in the Oregon Zoo, and all elephants held in captivity. Elephants cannot and do not thrive in zoos (or other entertainment venues).
Conclusion
Elephants are highly intelligent, social, sensitive individuals. As the largest land mammal on earth they have evolved to co-exist within complex communities in vast, challenging, and dynamic ecosystems. They require miles to walk, forage, and engage in their unique social and cultural activities. They are a keystone species, gardeners of the land, and essential to the ecosystems they inhabit. Their footsteps till the soil and create water holes, they spread seeds and nutrients through their droppings. They are matriarchal, gentle, powerful beings who know how to live in right relationship with the earth.
Elephants, like Billy and Tina, deserve to be recognized for who they are and treated with respect and compassion. We must end the cruel practice of captivity and instead use our resources to protect elephants, and all wild animals, in their natural habitats. When that is not possible due to human interference and exploitation, the least we can do is provide a healing sanctuary environment where they can live a more natural life with the dignity that is their birthright.
Thank you to the Nonhuman Rights Project for their recognition of and advocacy for rights of animals.
Click here to urge the Tulsa Zoo to release Billy and Tina to a sanctuary.