L.A. Zoo elephants Billy and Tina are making a big move to live with their own kind

After years of debate over the welfare of the animals, the Los Angeles Zoo announced Tuesday that it will relocate its two remaining Asian elephants to a newly expanded preserve at the Tulsa Zoo.

The elephants — 40-year-old Billy and 59-year-old Tina — will be moved to the Elephant Experience and Preserve in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Zoo officials said the decision was made with the animals’ care and well-being as the top priority, and the relocation “will afford them the opportunity to live among other elephants.”

“The decision is driven by the L.A. Zoo’s unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of all the animals in its care,” according to a statement from the zoo. “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.”

Zoo officials said they have been evaluating the elephant exhibit since the deaths of two other elephants — Jewel, age 61, in 2023, and Shaunzi, age 53, in 2024 — although they said those animals were in “declining health due to issues unrelated to the zoo’s enclosure or care.”

The facility at the Tulsa Zoo is currently home to five Asian elephants. The preserve covers 17 acres, including a 36,650-square-foot elephant barn and a 10-plus-acre wooded elephant preserve.

The move “will allow Billy and Tina to continue receiving exceptional care with opportunities to integrate with a larger herd,” according to the zoo.

A date for the elephants to be moved has not been set.