LA Councilman says zoo ought to take into account all choices for Asian elephants – NBC Los Angeles
Metropolis Councilman Bob Blumenfield is asking on Thursday for the Los Angeles Zoo to delay relocating its final two remaining Asian elephants to a 17-acre protect in Tulsa, Oklahoma till extra choices are explored.
The movement launched Wednesday would instruct zoo officers to report inside 30 days on the relocation choices for 40-year-old Billy and 59-year-old Tina, together with U.S.-based sanctuaries accredited by the International Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, in addition to different choices.
Zoo officers could be instructed to not transfer the elephants or in any other case decide to the place they are going to be relocated till the matter is mentioned and voted on by the total council.
The matter will likely be heard at a future assembly of the council’s Arts, Parks, Libraries and Neighborhood Enrichment Committee earlier than being scheduled for the Metropolis Council.
“Because the zoo is a citywide asset, the Los Angeles Metropolis Council has vested curiosity within the relocation of its elephants. Due to this fact, all choices must be thought-about by the council earlier than a ultimate determination about the place Billy and Tina will likely be relocated,” the movement reads.
The councilman mentioned the zoo ought to take into account the three,060-acre Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee, residence to 12 elephants, or the Performing Animal Welfare Society in northern California, a 2,300-acre haven for retired captive wildlife.
“Elephants require massive, dynamic environments, companionship, freedom of selection, and management over their lives,” the movement reads. “When these important wants aren’t met, they endure nice bodily and psychological hurt.”
On Tuesday, zoo officers introduced their determination to maneuver the pair to the Elephant Expertise and Protect in Tulsa. They mentioned the choice was made with the animals’ care and well-being as the highest precedence, and the relocation “will afford them the chance to reside amongst different elephants.”
“The choice is pushed by the L.A. Zoo’s unwavering dedication to the well being and wellbeing of all of the animals in its care,” based on a press release Tuesday from the zoo. “Following the transfer, the Zoo will pause its elephant program for the fast future. The Zoo will proceed to help Asian elephant conservation applications and the Elephants of Asia exhibit will likely be re-imagined for different appropriate species and programming.”
Zoo officers mentioned they’ve been evaluating the elephant exhibit for the reason that deaths of two different elephants — Jewel, age 61, in 2023, and Shaunzi, age 53, in 2024 — though they mentioned these animals have been in “declining well being as a result of points unrelated to the zoo’s enclosure or care.”
The Tulsa Zoo is presently residence to 5 Asian elephants. The protect covers 17 acres, together with a 36,650-square-foot elephant barn and a 10-plus-acre wooded elephant protect.
The transfer “will enable Billy and Tina to proceed receiving distinctive care with alternatives to combine with a bigger herd,” based on the zoo.
A date for the transfer has not been set.
Zoo officers additionally famous the choice was not impacted by the town’s price range deficit, and it was reached in session with the Affiliation of Zoos and Aquariums and its Elephant Species Survival Plan, in addition to Taxon Advisory Group.
Courtney Scott, an elephant marketing consultant for In Protection of Animals, mentioned in an e-mail to Metropolis Information Service that she was dissatisfied by the choice to relocate the elephants to a different zoo as an alternative of a sanctuary, as they’ve been petitioning the L.A. Zoo to do for the final 20 years.
Scott mentioned the Tulsa Zoo’s exhibit is way from sufficient area to accommodate the wants of far-roaming elephants.
“These two elephants have been present in a constricted, barren zoo exhibit for many years, enduring bodily and psychological struggling. It’s actually tragic that they aren’t getting the chance to reside the remainder of their lives because the wild, free elephants they have been born to be,” Scott mentioned.
In March, philanthropist and retired trial lawyer David Casselman supplied to totally fund the relocation and lifelong care of the elephants on the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, a spacious refuge Casselman co-founded.
In his remarks, Casselman mentioned the town does not should pay something, simply get out of the best way.
“We are able to crate Billy, we are able to take Tina with him, and we are able to transfer them to Cambodia — they will have all of the area in essentially the most pretty existence for an elephant you possibly can think about,” Casselman mentioned. “All we have to do is persuade the Metropolis Council to only allow them to go.”
Casselman cited the profitable relocation and restoration of Kaavan, “the world’s loneliest elephant,” who was transferred from the Islamabad Zoo to Cambodia.
In line with Scott, the zoo didn’t seek the advice of with Casselman. There have been additionally sanctuaries in america zoo officers may have thought-about as nicely, she added.
Animal advocates have lengthy known as on the zoo to launch the elephants, who they are saying are affected by “grave misery” and medical circumstances as a result of restricted confines on the zoo.
Max Pulsinelli, a spokesman for the zoo, mentioned in an e-mail to CNS that neither In Protection of Animals nor Casselman contacted or offered them with a suggestion.
“Even when we had, the price of the transfer and activist agendas aren’t considered, solely the well-being of the person animals. Animal care selections are made by animal care specialists and zoo professionals throughout the context of the AZA Accreditation Requirements,” Pulsinelli mentioned.
