Cher Fights to Stop Zoo Transfer of LA Elephants, Urges Sanctuary Relocation Instead

The pop icon joins legal action to prevent Billy and Tina from being sent to Tulsa Zoo, calling for their move to a true sanctuary after decades in captivity.

Los Angeles [US], May 12: Grammy-winning singer and animal welfare advocate Cher has renewed her call for the relocation of two elephants, Billy and Tina, from the Los Angeles Zoo—not to another zoo, but to a wildlife sanctuary where she says they can finally find peace after decades of captivity.

The singer, who has been campaigning for Billy’s release since 2009, condemned the LA Zoo’s decision to send Billy and Tina to the Tulsa Zoo in Oklahoma, rather than to a sanctuary. In a powerful public statement, Cher wrote, “Billy has been locked up since 1989. Tina was held captive in a private zoo before coming to LA. They’ve been through hell.”

“The Tulsa Zoo is not a sanctuary,” she added. “Billy and Tina deserve the chance to live out their lives in peace and dignity.”

Cher, who co-founded the Free the Wild charity, filed a formal declaration in support of an emergency motion aimed at halting the move. The motion is part of a new lawsuit filed by a local resident that accuses the LA Zoo of misleading the public by suggesting the elephants would be moved to a more natural preserve, when in reality they would remain confined in another zoo.

A Legal Battle for Compassion

The lawsuit, filed Saturday, seeks a temporary restraining order to stop the transfer and allow Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council time to review alternative relocation options, including sanctuary placement.

“I am asking you to put the decision on hold,” Cher stated in her legal declaration, “until we can further investigate the possibility of transferring Billy and Tina to a sanctuary.”

She pointed to the success of her charity’s past efforts, citing the story of Kaavan, the so-called “world’s loneliest elephant”, who was freed from a zoo in Pakistan and relocated to a sanctuary in Cambodia with Free the Wild’s help.

“Sanctuaries offer acres of soft, natural terrain, trees, rivers, and freedom,” Cher emphasized. “We know it heals.”

Years in Captivity

• Billy has spent 35 years in the LA Zoo, confined to an enclosure that animal rights advocates argue is wholly inadequate.
• Tina was previously kept in a private zoo before arriving at the LA Zoo.

Animal advocates, including the Free the Wild Foundation, argue the two elephants are suffering emotionally and physically in their current and proposed living conditions. They’re pushing for relocation to facilities like The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee or PAWS (Performing Animal Welfare Society) in Northern California, which offer expansive, natural environments.

The LA Zoo has defended its decision, saying Tulsa Zoo provides upgraded elephant habitats. But critics argue it is simply another form of captivity—and that a sanctuary remains the only humane solution.

As the legal fight unfolds, the spotlight now rests on the courts, city leadership, and public support to determine whether Billy and Tina’s next chapter will be in freedom or continued confinement.