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6d ago

L.A. Zoo to Relocate Last Two Elephants to Expanded Tulsa Preserve

Billy and Tina, the zoo’s remaining Asian elephants, will join a larger herd in a 17-acre facility as the zoo pauses its elephant program.

Asian elephant Billy is seen at the L.A. Zoo. (Photo by Jamie Pham/Courtesy of the L.A. Zoo)
Billy a male Asian elephant, roams in his habitat at the Elephants of Asia exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo on Tuesday, April 18, 2017.

Overview

  • The Los Angeles Zoo has announced the relocation of its final two Asian elephants, Billy (40) and Tina (59), to the Elephant Experience and Preserve at the Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma.
  • The Tulsa Zoo’s expanded 17-acre preserve includes a 36,650-square-foot barn and over 10 acres of wooded habitat, currently home to five Asian elephants.
  • The decision follows the deaths of two other elephants at the L.A. Zoo—Jewel in 2023 and Shaunzi in early 2024—and a year-long evaluation of the elephant program.
  • Zoo officials emphasized that the move prioritizes the elephants’ welfare, offering them opportunities to live among a larger social group while receiving specialized care.
  • After the relocation, the L.A. Zoo will temporarily pause its elephant program and plans to repurpose the Elephants of Asia exhibit for other species and conservation initiatives.