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ANIMAL WATCH - For the second year in a row, the Los Angeles Zoo has earned the dubious distinction of being ranked the #1 Worst Zoo for Elephants by the animal advocacy group In Defense of Animals (IDA). The 2024 list, part of IDA’s annual 10 Worst Zoos for Elephants report, highlights the dire situation facing Billy and Tina, two aging, isolated elephants who remain confined in inadequate conditions.
The Plight of Billy and Tina
At 40 and 58 years old, Billy and Tina are considered elderly by zoo standards, where elephants often suffer shortened lifespans compared to their wild counterparts. Both elephants exhibit signs of zoochosis — repetitive, abnormal behaviors like head-banging and swaying — which stem from the stress of confinement and lack of social interaction.
Their 1-acre enclosure, a fraction of what they would roam in the wild, provides neither physical stimulation nor mental enrichment. Forced to live on hard surfaces that damage their feet and joints, they have no access to foraging, companionship, or natural behaviors that define elephant life.
A Call for Urgent Action
Animal rights advocates argue that Billy and Tina’s conditions are not just substandard — they are cruel. Past lawsuits, including one filed by David Casselman, have challenged the zoo’s treatment of elephants, but the campaign has now reached a critical point.
“We must act now to free Billy and Tina,” said Courtney Scott. “They exemplify the suffering of elephants who ‘age out’ in zoos. It’s time to offer them sanctuary and peace before it’s too late.”
A Pattern of Neglect
This marks the ninth time the Los Angeles Zoo has been named on IDA’s worst zoo list since its inception in 2004. Despite years of public pressure and mounting evidence of harm to its elephants, the zoo has not committed to relocating Billy and Tina.
A Rallying Cry for Freedom
On Saturday, March 22, 2025, a coalition of animal welfare organizations — In Defense of Animals, Elephant Guardians of Los Angeles, Los Angeles for Animals, The Nonhuman Rights Project, and Ecoflix — will gather at the front entrance of the Los Angeles Zoo for a peaceful rally. The event, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., aims to raise public awareness and demand the release of Billy and Tina to an accredited elephant sanctuary where they can live out their remaining years in dignity and peace.
Notable Supporters Join the Cause
Speakers at the rally will include:
- Paul Koretz, former Los Angeles City Councilor who previously introduced a motion to free Billy.
- David Casselman, attorney, co-founder of the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, and producer of the documentary “Free Billy.”
- Joshua Marin-Mora, Field Representative for State Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur.
- Marilyn Kroplick, M.D., President and CEO of In Defense of Animals.
- Courtney Scott, Elephant Consultant for In Defense of Animals.
Join the Movement
The upcoming rally is peaceful and family-friendly, with a mission to educate zoo visitors and amplify the call to #FreeBilly and #FreeTina.
For more details and to RSVP: Facebook Event: Rally to Free Billy and Tina from #1 Worst Zoo for Elephants!
(In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a history of defending animals, humans, and the environment through education and campaigns, as well as hands-on rescue facilities throughout the United States, India and South Korea, since 1983. www.idausa.org/elephant)
