Los Angeles City Councilmember Ysabel Jurado expressed interest Wednesday in a potential move to address concerns from animal advocates who say two elephants at the L.A. Zoo must be freed and offered sanctuary.
While no further details were provided, a spokesperson for Jurado said the council member is “closely tracking this issue.” The comment comes four days after a crowd of 30 animal advocates rallied outside the zoo calling for the immediate release of Asian elephants Billy and Tina, who are 40 and 58 years old, respectively.
At the rally organized by In Defense of Animals, Elephant Guardians of Los Angeles, Los Angeles for Animals and Ecoflix, philanthropist and retired trial lawyer David Casselman offered to fully fund the relocation and lifetime care of the elephants. The group seeks to send the pair to the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, a spacious refuge Casselman co-founded.
In his remarks, Casselman said the city doesn’t have to pay anything, just get out of the way.
“We can crate Billy, we can take Tina with him, and we can move them to Cambodia — they’ll have all the space in the most lovely existence for an elephant you can imagine,” Casselman said Saturday. “All we need to do is convince the City Council to just let them go.”
Casselman cited the successful relocation and recovery of Kaavan, “the world’s loneliest elephant,” who was transferred from the Islamabad Zoo to Cambodia.
The animal advocates say Billy and Tina must be freed because they are suffering from “grave distress” and severe medical conditions such as foot and joint disease and chronic arthritis. The elephants also display zoochosis — a condition marked by behaviors such as swaying, bobbing and pacing, which are “clear signs of psychological trauma and brain damage,” according to In Defense of Animals, an international animal protection organization.
A move to release the elephants could come from the City Council through the city’s legislative process. Under this pathway, Jurado, who is the chair of the Arts, Parks, Libraries and Community Enrichment Committee, would have jurisdiction over the matter. The three-member committee also provides oversight of the L.A. Zoo.
Last year, the council ordered a study into the death of two Asian elephants at the zoo, Jewel and Shaunzi, including a possible update to standards of care for such animals.
Jewel, 61, was euthanized due to health issues on Jan. 20, 2023, and a year later Shaunzi, 53, had to be euthanized for similar reasons.
Former City Councilmember Paul Koretz said he believed the city can release the elephants, highlighting the case of Ruby, the African elephant. Former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa helped retire the elephant in 2007, who was relocated to a sanctuary in the Sierra foothills outside Sacramento.
Courtney Scott, elephant consultant for In Defense of Animals, said in a statement that this is an opportunity to do the right thing.
“Every day Billy and Tina remain confined in this barren, inadequate enclosure, they suffer,” Scott said. “We are calling on City Council members to accept this gift now and give Billy and Tina the freedom they deserve before it’s too late.”