We are proud to share the first photos of Billy and Tina, together, at Tulsa Zoo. Our team is working collaboratively with Los Angeles Zoo to ease the transition and ensure we understand Billy and Tina’s individual needs. Both teams feel strongly that being together during the quarantine period is best for their social needs and wellbeing. The two could be heard trumpeting as they were successfully reintroduced in our Elephant Preserve Barn.
Billy and Tina will spend the next several weeks building bonds with their new care team and meeting members of our herd after the standard quarantine period. Quarantine is a good first step in herd introductions because it allows Billy and Tina to see, smell and hear the other elephants from a distance as they acclimate. Billy and Tina may not be immediately viewable to guests, but visitors to our Elephant Preserve Barn could occasionally catch a glimpse.
Thank you to the staff at Los Angeles Zoo for sharing their expertise and passion for Billy and Tina with our team. We will continue your legacy of caring for them with excellence, teamwork and individualized attention.
To those who know and love our zoo, thank you for being our champions. We will continue to do the work every day as passionate advocates for these amazing animals.
Billy and Tina arrived safely at Tulsa Zoo from Los Angeles on Wednesday, May 21. Both elephants loaded in quickly for the journey thanks to training provided prior to the move. The 26-hour road trip included breaks every couple of hours for hay, cantaloupe, romaine and water. Their accompanying care team said both elephants were calm and ate and drank well at each stop.
