Samuel L Jackson joins urgent push to move Billy and Tina from Tulsa Zoo as advocates warn “time is running out”
samuel l jackson is urging the Tulsa Zoo to immediately release elephants Billy and Tina to a sanctuary as advocates warn Tina is facing a serious, life-threatening uterine infection. The call escalated on March 27, 2026 at 9: 20 AM ET, as In Defense of Animals intensified pressure on Tulsa Zoo leadership to approve an urgent assessment for transport. At the center of the push: whether Tina can be evaluated quickly enough to move safely “before it’s too late, ” and whether Billy can be retired alongside her.
Urgent medical concerns drive the latest demand for release
Advocates say Tina’s condition has raised the stakes, pressing for immediate steps that could determine whether she can be moved to an elephant sanctuary. In Defense of Animals said it is vital for the zoo to have Tina urgently assessed for transport and, if she is able to be moved, sent as soon as feasible to a sanctuary. The organization said two different sanctuaries have offered homes to both Billy and Tina.
The campaign also points to broader concerns about the Tulsa Zoo’s elephant program. In Defense of Animals said the Tulsa Zoo was recently named the No. 10 Worst Zoo for Elephants in North America, citing what it described as a high-mortality breeding program.
Samuel L Jackson and advocates intensify public pressure on Tulsa Zoo leadership
samuel l jackson has joined In Defense of Animals in pressing Tulsa Zoo President and CEO Lindsay Hutchison to release the elephants. Jackson said sanctuaries are willing to take Billy and Tina in, and urged the public to support the organization’s effort to retire the elephants to sanctuary.
“Billy and Tina have sanctuaries willing to take them in, ” Jackson said. “Continued exploitation and denial of their freedom is making them worse, and time is running out! Join me in supporting In Defense of Animals and urge the Tulsa Zoo to retire these elephants before it’s too late. ”
In its statement, In Defense of Animals noted that Jackson recently posted photos of himself with a herd of elephants in the background at Kenya’s Reteti Elephant Sanctuary.
The campaign has also drawn support from other public figures. Ignacia Fernández, identified as Miss World Chile, backed the call to send the elephants to sanctuary and criticized zoo breeding practices.
Claims of long-running controversy over the elephants’ transfer
In Defense of Animals described Billy as a well-known Los Angeles resident for more than 30 years and said the Los Angeles Zoo transferred Billy and Tina to Oklahoma “in the dead of night” last May, calling the move secretive and deeply upsetting to many in Los Angeles. The organization said the relocation in May 2025 came after years of activism and advocacy seeking retirement to sanctuary, and it characterized the transfer to Tulsa as moving the elephants into a breeding program it described as high-pressure and reliant on invasive procedures.
The group framed the dispute as a “bi-state controversy, ” involving advocates, celebrities, city and state officials, and attorneys who had fought for the elephants to be sent to a sanctuary rather than moved to another zoo.
Expert commentary points to welfare concerns and a sanctuary alternative
Courtney Scott, described as a veteran elephant consultant with In Defense of Animals, said Tina’s declining health at the Tulsa Zoo was not surprising to the group and argued that moving Tina and Billy to a sanctuary would be the compassionate choice.
“True compassion would be sending Tina and her longtime buddy, Billy, to an elephant sanctuary, ” Scott said. “This really is a no-brainer. Tina will receive top-notch medical care at a sanctuary, and peace which will have a direct impact on her health. ”
In Defense of Animals also said the Tulsa Zoo holds seven elephants and claimed the animals exhibit stress behaviors. The organization referenced video it said was captured by Elephant Guardians of Los Angeles showing another elephant, Sneezy, attempting a breakout, while it said Billy and Tina show signs consistent with severe harm.
What’s next as the sanctuary push accelerates
The immediate next step advocated by In Defense of Animals is a rapid, transport-focused medical assessment for Tina to determine whether she can be moved safely. The organization and its supporters are urging Tulsa Zoo leadership to approve release to one of the sanctuaries it said has offered placement, and to do so on an urgent timeline tied to Tina’s condition.
For now, the campaign’s message is blunt and time-sensitive: samuel l jackson and In Defense of Animals want a decision from Tulsa Zoo leadership that prioritizes an urgent transport evaluation and, if medically feasible, a swift move of both elephants to sanctuary.
