Cher Says L.A. Zoo Elephants Deserve Sanctuary, Not Another Zoo

In a powerful plea for compassion, music icon Cher is once again speaking up for the elephants at the Los Angeles Zoo—this time pushing back against plans to relocate them to another zoo instead of a true sanctuary. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the singer has filed a formal declaration asking the court to halt the move and allow time to explore sanctuary alternatives for the elephants, Billy and Tina.

Billy, dubbed “the world’s saddest elephant,” has been confined since 1989. Tina was transferred from a private zoo to the LA Zoo. “They have been through hell,” Cher stated. “They deserve the chance to live out their lives in peace and dignity.” The singer has spent 15 years advocating for Billy’s release and has seen firsthand what sanctuaries can offer, referencing her charity Free the Wild’s successful relocation of Kaavan, a lonely elephant from a zoo in Pakistan to a sanctuary in Cambodia.

The proposed move would send Billy and Tina to the Tulsa Zoo, a facility that, as Cher notes, is “not a sanctuary.” A new lawsuit filed by a local resident accuses the LA Zoo of misleading the public, claiming the elephants are headed for a “preserve” when in reality it’s just another zoo enclosure.

Cher is urging a temporary restraining order so the Los Angeles City Council can consider a more humane alternative. Sanctuaries provide open landscapes, natural terrain, and freedom from display—and that’s exactly what these elephants need.

It’s time we stop treating wild animals as entertainment. Speak up for elephants. Support sanctuaries, say no to captivity, and demand better for the voiceless.

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