North American Asian Elephant Population 2025

Great Argus said:
While true their exhibit is on the newer side, I'm not holding my breath on elephants returning. Last I was aware the zoo is still having internal issues and there has been some hints of budget cuts. They'll also have to be prepared to face the activist fury if they bring in more, which for a city run zoo may not be something they choose to face. While I would like to be proven wrong, once Billy and Tina leave I feel there is a strong possibility elephants will not return. Shall have to wait and see, hoping for the best.
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It definitely leaves a tough situation for LA. I doubt anyone would blame them if they chose to phase out given the severe bad press Billy and Tina gave them, but in contrast to a zoo such as the Bronx for example, Elephants of Asia is a fairly modern exhibit that is quite literally the center of the zoo. To loose elephants would be a significant downgrade and I think the zoo knows that.
I will however say that moving Billy and Tina out was the smartest decision given the circumstances. Their program has been at a standstill for years due to activist presence and it's evident that nothing was going to be done while two such influential individuals were there. This gives them the oppertunity to have a clean slate. A refurbed exhibit, related female pair, and a new breeding male would set them up perfectly. It's been long overdue that they take a step back and reevaluate.

I am severely surprised at this move though. I couldve bet money that if Billy and Tina ever moved, it would be to ALS. Activists will have a field day to learn he's going to another zoo. Not to mention this will put Tulsa at three mature bulls? It feels...odd to say the least that a brand new intended breeding facility is being used as a retirement home, but at least this move still gives Billy the chance to sire offspring.
 
Frankie_number_1_fan said:
I am severely surprised at this move though. I couldve bet money that if Billy and Tina ever moved, it would be to ALS. Activists will have a field day to learn he's going to another zoo. Not to mention this will put Tulsa at three mature bulls? It feels...odd to say the least that a brand new intended breeding facility is being used as a retirement home, but at least this move still gives Billy the chance to sire offspring.
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The activists have reiterated for abt 2 decades now they wanted Billy to move a "sanctuary" rather than another AZA zoo. I'm very certain they'll flip their lids once they find that out. If that would be case, then who cares if that's how they'll react when the plan to bring in new herds.
 
Frankie_number_1_fan said:
This gives them the oppertunity to have a clean slate. A refurbed exhibit, related female pair, and a new breeding male would set them up perfectly. It's been long overdue that they take a step back and reevaluate.
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I'm not inherently sure a clean slate will help LA to be honest. Billy was an easy scapegoat, but the underlying point was no elephants at the zoo. I do not doubt it would be a rocky road to get more elephants back in the exhibit. California has generally not proven an easy state to hold elephants these days.

Frankie_number_1_fan said:
I am severely surprised at this move though. I couldve bet money that if Billy and Tina ever moved, it would be to ALS. Activists will have a field day to learn he's going to another zoo. Not to mention this will put Tulsa at three mature bulls? It feels...odd to say the least that a brand new intended breeding facility is being used as a retirement home, but at least this move still gives Billy the chance to sire offspring.
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It is an odd move, and it feels more driven of necessity. The announcement has come out of the blue from a zoo that has been heavily criticized over its elephants and is known to be struggling a bit right now. The zoo has stated this has nothing to do with it, but everything about it is unexpected and somewhat odd. Hard to say, and it will be interesting to see what happens going forwards.
 
The Horse Boy said:
The activists have reiterated for abt 2 decades now they wanted Billy to move a "sanctuary" rather than another AZA zoo. I'm very certain they'll flip their lids once they find that out. If that would be case, then who cares if that's how they'll react when the plan to bring in new herds.
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The activists need to be taken to task and put them back into their box before holding elephants becomes another Seaworld saga!
 
Great Argus said:
I'm not inherently sure a clean slate will help LA to be honest. Billy was an easy scapegoat, but the underlying point was no elephants at the zoo.
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It does seem apparent that lawmakers in Cali have been putting a lot of pressure on the zoo and subsequently their elephant program. I do think that with Billy and Tina gone, they have the chance to reform. Or at least more of a chance than they did while they still held onto the two. If they do indeed rennovate Elephants of Asia and plan to bring in a mother-daughter pair or even a small group (IE Cincinnati), then there's less of a legitimate argument against their holding of elephants. I have a feeling that it will likely be years before we see any changes. Obviously there's the budget issues, plus the zoo likely would want time to let the bad press cool off before opting to bring in new individuals or even renovation.
 
peruvianbirdie said:
In a serious note how Tulsa in terms of habitat design and husbandry (obviously adequate), is this a good move?
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They just opened a 10 acre exhibit with two new barns. The facility is wonderful but I genuinely question how they plan to hold three mature bulls while rotating the cows as well. It seems like Tulsa has been a sort of "dumping ground" for zoos that need to get Elephants out in a snap. Iirc they're the only zoo with the ability to do so.
 
Great Argus said:
And leaves Oregon Zoo as the only zoo on the entire Pacific coast with them. Also I believe making LA the 7th facility on the coast to lose them in the last 15 years.
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Actually that number is eight zoos in the last 15 years, and that number turns to eleven if you go back to the turn of the 21st century. Vancouver (2003), San Fran (2004), SDZSP (2009), Six Flags (2015), Woodland Park (2015), Fresno (2017) Winston Wildlife Safari (2018), Santa Barbara (2019), San Diego Zoo (2023), Point Defiance (2024), and now Los Angeles (2025). In addition, Los Angeles, Vancouver, San Francisco, Six Flags, Woodland Park (these first five have phased out BOTH Africans and Asians), Monterey, and Oakland have all eliminated African Elephants in that same time frame (Point Defiance also had them until 1997 and both San Diego parks and Fresno still keep Africans.) There used to be an insane number of Pacific Coast zoos with both species of elephant and now there are so few with even one species.
 
Here is the statement made from the zoo about the transfer from their website:
"Los Angeles – April 22, 2025 – The Los Angeles Zoo announced today that it will be relocating its two remaining Asian elephants to the newly expanded Elephant Experience and Preserve at the Tulsa Zoo. This decision was made with the care and wellbeing of Billy and Tina as the number one priority and will afford them the opportunity to live among other elephants.

The Los Angeles Zoo works tirelessly to assure that all its animals, including the elephants, receive the best care possible, and visitors have enjoyed watching the Zoo’s elephants for years. The decision to relocate the two elephants, a male, Billy (40), and a female, Tina (59), was made in consultation with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and its Elephant Species Survival Plan (SSP) and Taxon Advisory Group (TAG). The SSP advises on the management of the entire elephant population in North American Zoos as a single herd. The decision is driven by the L.A. Zoo’s unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of all the animals in its care. Following the move, the Zoo will pause its elephant program for the immediate future. The Zoo will continue to support Asian elephant conservation programs and the Elephants of Asia exhibit will be reimagined for other suitable species and programming.

The Zoo spent the past year carefully evaluating its elephant program and all available options following the loss of two elephants, Jewel (61) in 2023 and Shaunzi (53) in 2024. Both elephants were in declining health due to issues unrelated to the Zoo’s enclosure or care and were ultimately euthanized due to age-related health issues. For the Los Angeles Zoo to consider the continuation of its elephant program, it would be necessary to bring in additional elephants in order to meet the social and gender requirements outlined in the AZA Accreditation Standards. Creating a larger social herd at the L.A. Zoo is currently not a viable option due to the limited availability of Asian elephants within the AZA population. These decisions – to relocate the elephants and pause the program – have been under consideration for some time and are in no way related to recent announcements about the City budget.

The Tulsa Zoo has recently expanded their elephant program and facilities and is currently home to five Asian elephants. The new construction includes a complete reenvisioning of the now 17-acre elephant complex that includes a massive 36,650-sqft state-of-the-art elephant barn and incorporates a 10-plus acre wooded elephant preserve. Moving them to Tulsa, another AZA-accredited zoo with an excellent elephant program, will allow Billy and Tina to continue receiving exceptional care with opportunities to integrate with a larger herd.

There is still time to see Billy and Tina before they depart. A date for the move has not yet been determined."
L.A. ZOO TO RELOCATE ELEPHANTS TO TULSA ZOO’S NEWLY EXPANDED ELEPHANT HABITAT AND PRESERVE - Los Angeles Zoo and Botanical Gardens
 
Nile Hippo Expert said:
Actually that number is eight zoos in the last 15 years, and that number turns to eleven if you go back to the turn of the 21st century. Vancouver (2003), San Fran (2004), SDZSP (2009), Six Flags (2015), Woodland Park (2015), Fresno (2017) Winston Wildlife Safari (2018), Santa Barbara (2019), San Diego Zoo (2023), Point Defiance (2024), and now Los Angeles (2025). In addition, Los Angeles, Vancouver, San Francisco, Six Flags, Woodland Park (these first five have phased out BOTH Africans and Asians), Monterey, and Oakland have all eliminated African Elephants in that same time frame (Point Defiance also had them until 1997 and both San Diego parks and Fresno still keep Africans.) There used to be an insane number of Pacific Coast zoos with both species of elephant and now there are so few with even one species.
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I think going forward the only west coast zoos that will sustainably house elephants will be Oregon Fresno and both San diego parks
 
I know LA managing a bachelor group has also been a possibility as I have seen y'all discussing this here a fair number of times. But now I'm unsure if there are any younger bulls available at the mo. My stomach is tightening at the thought of them closing the elephant program altogether lol
 
The Horse Boy said:
I know LA managing a bachelor group has also been a possibility as I have seen y'all discussing this here a fair number of times. But now I'm unsure if there are any younger bulls available at the mo. My stomach is tightening at the thought of them closing the elephant program altogether lol
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It's an unfortunate reality that LA's program has been an unstable, unsustainable mess for years now. Them phasing out, at least temporarily, has been inevitable (as much as myself and others haven't wanted to entertain). The discussions about holding bachelors have been only loosely discussed in respects to solving Billy's social situation, which evidently was not the solution the AZA and LA were looking for. I'm not knowledgeable of the goings-on behind closed doors and I won't pretend to be, but I suspect that this move wasn't entirely fueled by lack of available individuals. If LA was really hellbent on retaining Billy and Tina, then I'm nearly positive the SSP could've scrunged up a pair of bulls or even an elderly cow or two. If LA is to continue their elephant program, this is the best possible choice to remove themselves of the consistent negative publicity from Billy and more recently Tina.
 
Frankie_number_1_fan said:
It's an unfortunate reality that LA's program has been an unstable, unsustainable mess for years now. Them phasing out, at least temporarily, has been inevitable (as much as myself and others haven't wanted to entertain). The discussions about holding bachelors have been only loosely discussed in respects to solving Billy's social situation, which evidently was not the solution the AZA and LA were looking for. I'm not knowledgeable of the goings-on behind closed doors and I won't pretend to be, but I suspect that this move wasn't entirely fueled by lack of available individuals. If LA was really hellbent on retaining Billy and Tina, then I'm nearly positive the SSP could've scrunged up a pair of bulls or even an elderly cow or two. If LA is to continue their elephant program, this is the best possible choice to remove themselves of the consistent negative publicity from Billy and more recently Tina.
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Even if there was more certainty within the elephant program of LA and individuals available within US Asian population, relocating billy and tina to another facility is still a much better choice instead of them rotting in an exhibit constantly in hell from ARAs for the rest of their lives however lovely it really is. I'm very happy they decided to act on their situations now instead of much later like I anticipated.
 
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Nile Hippo Expert said:
Actually that number is eight zoos in the last 15 years, and that number turns to eleven if you go back to the turn of the 21st century. Vancouver (2003), San Fran (2004), SDZSP (2009), Six Flags (2015), Woodland Park (2015), Fresno (2017) Winston Wildlife Safari (2018), Santa Barbara (2019), San Diego Zoo (2023), Point Defiance (2024), and now Los Angeles (2025). In addition, Los Angeles, Vancouver, San Francisco, Six Flags, Woodland Park (these first five have phased out BOTH Africans and Asians), Monterey, and Oakland have all eliminated African Elephants in that same time frame (Point Defiance also had them until 1997 and both San Diego parks and Fresno still keep Africans.) There used to be an insane number of Pacific Coast zoos with both species of elephant and now there are so few with even one species.
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Thanks for collating this data. When you see it all typed out in a single paragraph, it's kind of overwhelming to realize just how many elephants are now gone up and down the entire coast. Yet, if you visit many European or Asian nations then there are elephants absolutely everywhere in zoos.
 
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