Billy is an Asian elephant who has suffered in captivity at the LA Zoo for over 30 years. Elephants are highly social, family oriented, intelligent and active creatures. In the wild they live in large herds and can travel up to thirty miles in a day. In zoos they live in artificial replicas of the wild which cannot meet their physical and psychological needs. For example, Billy lives in an enclosure that is three acres, divided into four sections. He only has access to one section at a time. His small pool is chlorinated and the trees in his exhibit are covered in electrical wires so he is shocked if he tries to eat the leaves. The consequences of living in captivity are physical ailments such as foot problems, arthritis, obesity and a much shorter lifespan than those living in the wild. Psychologically, they suffer from boredom, stress, depression and loneliness. They also display stereotypic behaviors such as swaying and head bobbing. Billy has been bobbing his head for years. Elephants living alone suffer the most. Psychologists have proven that social animals living a solitary life suffer terribly. To make matters worse, Billy is used as a sperm donor in captive breeding programs in North America. This is an invasive procedure which is exorbitantly expensive with a low success rate, including infant mortality. 

The irony of all this is that the city of Los Angeles, led by Mayor Bass, is one of the most progressive cities in the country with some of the strictest animal welfare laws. Keeping Billy in captivity is not congruent with a progressive city such as Los Angeles. Many cities across the country have closed the elephant exhibits at their zoos, including San Francisco, Chicago and Detroit. It’s time Mayor Bass and the City of Los Angeles send Billy to an accredited sanctuary and ultimately shut down the elephant exhibit. 

Thank you kindly for signing this petition and helping Billy.