Welcome to this Unchained TV emergency town hall for Billy and Tina, the elephants at the LA Zoo. There is a lot of breaking news to tell you about. There is outrage as the LA Zoo tries to send elephants, Billy and Tina to another zoo instead of a sanctuary.

 

Welcome to this emergency Unchained TV town hall. As we speak up for two voiceless aging elephants who’ve become political footballs as the Los Angeles Zoo director insists on sending them to another zoo at a cost of $40,000 for taxpayers even though an accredited sanctuary is willing to take them and it would reportedly cost the city not a cent. In a last minute bid to stop the transfer to another zoo, attorneys have just filed a lawsuit and they’re gonna be holding a news conference at the LA Zoo.

 

We’re gonna go online right now to Vikram. Vikram Chikara, thank you for serving as a reporter today. What is happening at the LA Zoo?

 

Hi, good morning, Jane. So it’s hot and sunny here, starting to trickle in.

 

[Speaker 2]

The zoo opens at 10 a.m. But as you can see, there’s a lot of people starting to trickle in. So the reason we are here is because we’re trying to get LA Zoo to send the elephants to a sanctuary as you said and it’s costing taxpayers over $44,000 to send them to Oklahoma. So, and the protesters are starting to trickle in as well.

 

They’re discussing about the prospects of a sanctuary if we can send them to a sanctuary.

 

[Speaker 1]

They will have thousands of acres to roam around versus 10 acres that they will be confined in with the other elephants at the LA Zoo.

 

[Speaker 2]

You know, they say it’s 17 acres, but it actually is just 10 acres that they’ll be able to spend the elephants that they have it for the elephants, that they will share with 10 elephants, Billy and Tina. So, yeah, so that’s the mood here. Not much going on right now, but you can see the police back there and in a few minutes, 10 minutes, 20 minutes or so, you will see a lot of action here, a lot of chanting, a lot of, you know, just speak outs.

 

[Speaker 1]

And you’ll see Corey Mack, who’s the organizer of this protest. And this leg of the protest actually, it’s been going on for two years now and the zoo seems to not care about it at all. They just, you know, as you said, sanctuaries are willing to take them, but the zoo just is adamant on sending them to another zoo.

 

And you can think about it. And the reason why, one of the reasons why the LA Zoo is doing this perhaps is because, you know, by not sending them to a sanctuary and sending them to another zoo, if they send them to a sanctuary, it’s an admission of guilt. It’s an admission that sanctuaries are actually better for these animals than the zoo is.

 

So they don’t want to admit that. And that’s why they’re sending them to another zoo. I want to thank you for your reporting.

 

Stand by, bring us the protest when they start. Along with the news conference, an attorney has filed a lawsuit and she is showing up there in a little while to hold a news conference. We are going to be live throughout this event because Billy and Tina cannot speak for themselves.

 

So we’re going to go now to our panel and talk a little bit about, you know, why this is such a crisis. But first, let me play something that happened at LA City Hall just a couple of days ago that set the stage for this drama. And essentially it’s a council member, Blumenfield, who speaks up for the voiceless elephants, having a confrontation with the director of the LA Zoo over this issue.

 

Let’s watch, and then we will debate it on the other side.

 

[Speaker 2]

It’s your desire to send them to the Tulsa Zoo instead of the ACA accredited sanctuaries. It would seem that sending an elephant to a sanctuary where you have 3,000 acres to roam would be better than a zoo where you have 20 acres or less. Just from the benefit of that elephant, could you explain why that’s not the case?

 

[Speaker 1]

Well, space might be one consideration of a factor that can contribute to an animal’s wellbeing. It’s not the only thing. It’s the opportunity to be in a social environment, in a herd environment.

 

It’s the quality of the care and the individual needs of the animal. And all of that in combination, we feel they can achieve at the Tulsa Zoo. And you think that what they get at the Tulsa Zoo is substantially better than what they would get at the ACA accredited sanctuary?

 

I think what they can get at the Tulsa Zoo is the ability to be in an environment where they can thrive. Is it better than the other one, the other environment? It’s not a matter is one better than the other.

 

You could say a sanctuary can provide a great environment for a particular animal based on its needs the same way that a zoo can. Unbelievable. Let’s get around Robin on this confrontation.

 

I wanna start out with Patty Schenker. Patty, you’ve been protesting outside the LA Zoo for years. What is your reaction to that?

 

Well, it’s just absurd. Elephants need the space to be physically and emotionally and psychologically healthy. They should be getting this space.

 

If they were so concerned about a herd being together, why have they been here for so long alone? It just doesn’t make any sense. They’re ignoring the facts about elephants.

 

Why do you think they’re doing that? Because they don’t wanna give the satisfaction of letting our elephants go to a sanctuary. It’s as simple as that.

 

And I really resent that they’re using my tax money without even consulting with city council and the mayor. That is absurd. And it is not the right decision.

 

In my opinion, Mayor Bass has a King Solomon decision here between two sides and which one has the real interests of the elephants. And we know which side it is. It’s our side.

 

Thank you so much, Patty Schenker. You are an amazing activist and philanthropist who has helped many, many animals over the year. So let me go to Simone Reyes with social compassion legislation.

 

And you have also worked so hard. What do you think is really going on here? What would you say to Mayor Bass, if you could?

 

I would say that she’s supposed to represent what her people want, what the people of Los Angeles want. This is a betrayal to every single person that has seen the elephants, looked in their eyes, known that they need so much more in order to thrive. And I mean, literally everybody from superstar Cher to just the average person who went to the zoo and saw these conditions and said to themselves, these animals deserve more.

 

We’ve been fighting this for a long time. If you literally walk down the street, and I’m not talking about animal rights activists or animal advocates, the average person, and you say to them, what’s better for an animal, to be at a zoo or to be at a sanctuary? It is a no brainer.

 

Obviously the sanctuary is going to be better when it’s accredited and you actually see how many acres they have. And you understand that sanctuaries care about the animal. They put the animal first.

 

Zoos put profit first and they put a circus like atmosphere of entertainment first, which has nothing to do with what animals need. Animals, every single thing that is natural to these elephants has been stripped from them and taken away. And now it’s only going to get worse.

 

This is, so yes, Mayor Bass, this is a betrayal of every single person that has written you letters and been on the streets protesting and asked you to do what’s right. Okay, I wanna go to Courtney Scott. Courtney, you followed this for many years.

 

What is the other reason that they would want to go to another zoo as opposed to going to this gorgeous sanctuary? I’ve looked it up. I mean, it’s sprawling.

 

It’s the closest thing that you would ever have to being in the wild in Tennessee. They even have Elecams. I was researching it.

 

They have Elecams. So the animals are walking so far. The way they keep track is with cameras as opposed to bars that keep them confined.

 

One of the reasons that a zoo is different than a sanctuary, zoos are designed for people. So you have to keep them in a limited space because otherwise people will pay for their ticket and they won’t see the animals. With a sanctuary, it’s designed for the animals.

 

So the animals come first. But what do you think is the politics behind this, Courtney? Courtney.

 

Well, in terms of politics, hello? Yes. Can you hear me?

 

Yes. Okay, yes. I would just add that everything everyone else said is correct, but I would add that there is also an element involved with the AZA, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

 

And the last breeding plan I saw, Billy was on the breeding plan. In other words, they’re still going to try to get sperm from Billy. They haven’t succeeded at the LA Zoo, but they probably will try again at the Tulsa Zoo.

 

So that is another reason to add to that. And as, let’s see, what’s the name, Denise Verrett said during the hearing, they feel their accreditation would be threatened from the AZA. However, I want to point out that no zoo has ever permanently lost their accreditation after sending their elephants to sanctuary.

 

Only two zoos lost it temporarily, and that was Toronto and Detroit. And that was years ago. So that’s a false statement.

 

There is no real threat from the AZA about losing their accreditation. But nonetheless, what she said is they’re following the recommendation of the AZA. And therefore they feel they would lose that if they did not follow that recommendation.

 

And the AZA is what? Let’s skip acronyms from now on. Sure, okay, it’s the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

 

It’s a zoo industry. I guess you would call it kind of like a lobbying group. They provide accreditation for their member zoos.

 

And that means they have to follow certain regulations. They’re supposed to hold no less than three elephants. So obviously the LA Zoo is in violation of that.

 

But the Association of Zoos and Aquariums will simply give them a variation, a variance. So that’s how that works. And just from my experience of working with so many years of the 10 worst zoos for elephants, AZA zoos claim they are the gold standard.

 

There’s nothing golden about their standards. They’re minimal at best. So I just wanna point that out.

 

And when we get a chance, if you wanna talk about it now or later, I wanna talk a little bit about the Tulsa Zoo, which everyone is claiming is so much better than the LA Zoo. And that zoo has been on our list of 10 worst zoos as well. Okay, well, let me just say this.

 

We invite the Tulsa Zoo on any time, but what you’re saying for indefensive animals, you’re saying that the Tulsa Zoo is on your list of worst zoos? Yes. The one that they’re trying to send Billy and Tina to is on the indefensive animals list of worst zoos?

 

Yes, in 2022, they were pointed out for their false and deceptive claims about how their expanded elephant preserve was going to be such a better improvement for their, at that time, only three elephants. Now there’s five. And with Billy and Tina, there will be seven.

 

And they plan to grow, by the way, to breed. Okay, wow. So that puts a whole other perspective on it.

 

If you’re just joining us, we are having an emergency town hall because word came down that Billy and Tina, who have been the subject, Billy particularly, of battles for decades with lawsuits and all sorts of things trying to remove them

 

[Speaker 2]

from the L.A. Zoo,

 

[Speaker 1]

that now they’re reportedly going to move them to the Tulsa Zoo, which you just heard the woman from indefensive animals say, according to her, was ranked as one of the worst zoos. We invite the Tulsa Zoo on any time to give their side of the story. But the idea that they’re gonna move Billy and Tina after all these years of battles to try to get them to a sanctuary to another zoo has sparked an uproar.

 

There was a confrontation at L.A. City Hall. And this is the breaking news that we’re bringing you, the confrontation at L.A. City Hall. Let us bring you another incident, another sample of that confrontation between a city council member and the head of the L.A. Zoo. And then we’ll go back out to the zoo itself where protests are set to begin. When is the plan to move them? There is no particular date.

 

No particular, so it’s not imminent. It’s not imminent. We obviously have to plan because it takes a while to prepare elephants to move, but elephants move on their own time.

 

What do you mean? Well, you don’t just ask an elephant, would you please get into this crate so I can drive you where you need to go? They have to be prepared to do that, and that takes time.

 

Right, okay, so it’s not a matter of days. It’s a matter of weeks or months. Again, I don’t have anything specific.

 

We don’t have any date specifically on when the animals will be moving.

 

[Speaker 2]

Okay, and have we signed a contract with the Tulsa Zoo to do this? Or is that still, has there been a contract signed to do this? No, there has not been a contract.

 

It’s budget-related in that we’re spending $88,000, and we have an option to spend $0, so that’s one job to spend, and so.

 

[Speaker 1]

But it’s not.

 

[Speaker 2]

It’s a policy decision that needs to be held in the Art, Parks, and Library Committee. That’s where we should be discussing how this moves forward. It is a budget implication, but it’s $88,000 that we’re talking about.

 

[Speaker 1]

And it’s not $88,000, it’s only $44,000 because we’re sharing the cost with Tulsa, and the money that we’re using is one-time funds. It’s not ongoing. That could support a position in the department.

 

Oh my gosh. All right, let’s go out to Tiffany Brunelli. I know you’ve been there monitoring.

 

Tiffany, can you bring us the latest? Hello! Tiffany!

 

Yes, hi. It’s the, the demonstrators just arrived, and it’s getting loud out here. They made a grand entrance with loud-sounding voices.

 

Just, just stay still and speak. Thank you. Go ahead.

 

Go ahead, Tiffany. Tiffany, go ahead. Go ahead.

 

Yeah, so the chanters just started. They, they made a grand entrance with loud drums and chanting. They seem to be chanting, not another zoo, you can see them here.

 

So they made a nice entrance there. They don’t want Billy and Tina sent to another zoo. They want a sanctuary.

 

So as you can see, it’s loud here. Yeah, absolutely. So the protests are starting outside the LA Zoo.

 

We’re going to go over to now. Thank you for that, Tiffany Brunelli. We have another reporter there.

 

Vikram, what are you seeing? What are you seeing?

 

[Speaker 2]

Yeah, so the activists are here now and they’re chanting, not another zoo.

 

[Speaker 1]

So one of, one of the activists here, you can see here. Why don’t you go and try to get Cori Mack and you can talk to Cori Mack. Cori, yes.

 

Yes, go talk to Cori Mack. She’s the one who is the head of the entire thing. She’s been holding these protests for a long, long time.

 

And yeah, that would be great to talk to her. We’re live. We’re bringing you this emergency town hall.

 

You’re seeing it as it happens. Cori, let’s get Cori in. Get Cori in.

 

Hi, Cori, so. Hi, I can’t see. Well, we’re live, Cori.

 

Cori, we’re live. Can you just tell us why you’re here? Stop for a moment and tell us why you’re here.

 

We’re moving away from the noise right now. Okay. We’re here to protest the Los Angeles Zoo’s decision to send Billy and Tina to sanctuary.

 

I mean, to a zoo. We are not gonna stop coming here until they go to a sanctuary. That’s why we’re here.

 

Are you afraid that they’re gonna move them? We’ve been here for more than two years. Are you afraid that they’re gonna try to move them in the dead of night?

 

Because I’ve heard some people say that they’re afraid that they could do an end run and just take them out in the middle of the night. I have no evidence one way or the other about that. That’s speculation.

 

So, I mean, I can’t tell you. What would you say to Mayor Bass? I would say to Mayor Bass, do the right thing.

 

These are highly sentient communal animals, highly intelligent. They do not belong in zoos. They do not belong in captivity.

 

The people making decisions at the LA Zoo are not elephant experts. They are not really, they don’t really care what is happening with the elephants. They only care for their own businesses.

 

And the fact that Denise Barrett is also the head, the board chair of the AZA, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is such a conflict of interest. So she says that they must go to a zoo because the AZA says they have to go to a zoo. But she heads the AZA.

 

So what? And also the fact that the Tennessee Sanctuary is AZA accredited. So what she doesn’t want happen is for Los Angeles to validate sanctuaries.

 

She wants them kept in the zoo system. And we are calling on Bass to make the right decision, not for the zoo, not for this entertainment venue, but make the right decision for the elephants themselves. Well said.

 

And did you hear that there’s going to be a news conference there because an attorney has filed a lawsuit to which an injunction is attached to try to prevent the elephants from being moved? Yes. Well, what’s your thoughts?

 

I’m not a legal person, so I can’t comment on that. I will say that we are in favor of Council Member Blumenfield’s motion to have the council review all of the options for a billiard, Tina. And the council needs to pass that.

 

Thank you so much, Cori Mack. I know you’ve devoted your life literally showing up. I mean, every Sunday, today is Mother’s Day and these protesters are there again because the elephants cannot speak for themselves.

 

Lindsay Baker, thank you so much. We’ll come back to the protest in a bit. Vic, thank you, great job out there.

 

Lindsay Baker, you are a host of the Action Hour on Unchained TV. You’ve covered this many times. What would you say to Mayor Bass if you could run into her and talk to her?

 

I would just say, Mayor Bass, we were there a couple of weeks ago about the shelters and it appears you’re going to do the right thing for that. There’s so many things, issues and challenges that you have had, you can make this right and you can save the city funds. The city is hurting.

 

We don’t need to spend this money. It’s clear to everyone, including the zoo people, that the elephants are better off in a sanctuary. She would not utter those words.

 

I’m an optimist, so the thing that I liked is they have not signed a contract, which means they know that if they do proceed, all of us and all of the people, the sensible people that know one elephant, I think, Billy’s been in 30 years, Tina’s been 35 years, slavery. They have to release these animals or they are going to have hell to pay. So that’s what I think.

 

And Mayor Bass, same goes for you. Respectfully, same goes for you. So this is a political football and these animals have been there for decades.

 

I remember something like 20 years ago covering this issue. And it’s just extraordinary that this battle of these elephants is still continuing. But the reason we’re holding an emergency town hall today is because it’s now hit basically a tipping point.

 

It’s hit a crisis point. So I wanna play another clip of, and we’ve got a few people who are coming in and leaving, but we hope they come back. Let me just leave it with the folks who are here now.

 

And Vic, that circle you see there is Vic repositioning himself to another location at the protest. But let me play another clip. People have mentioned that Cher, the superstar, has embraced this cause and she’s actually done a video.

 

And we’re gonna play some clips of Cher’s plea to please send Billy to a sanctuary. Billy the elephant has been at the LA Zoo for 33 years. He lives in constant pain and anguish.

 

It was seeing Billy suffer that made me wanna help him. The LA Zoo claims that they’re taking good care of Billy and the other elephants. But the truth reveals a very dark and different reality.

 

The records reveal a long history of neglect and cruelty. We gave the records to Dr. Ensley, an expert on elephants in captivity. Here is what he found that the zoo had kept hidden.

 

Billy does this all day, nonstop, head bobbing, swaying. It’s called stereotypic behavior. It’s the result of years of mental and physical suffering.

 

Wild elephants never behave this way, nor do the elephants at PAWS, a sanctuary in Northern California that’s willing to give Billy a home. All right, there you go. Simone Reyes, PAWS has offered over the years to let Billy come there.

 

And now there’s another sanctuary in Tennessee that is highly accredited, that is willing to take Billy at no cost. And yet, and yet, the city is intent on sending Billy and Tina to the Tulsa Zoo. It’s deplorable.

 

It’s disgusting. You know, Cher, that was her voice that we were hearing, has long been an advocate for elephants in captivity. And everything that she says is true.

 

You never see animals behaving that way, which is so hard to watch. You never see animals having these kind of psychotic sort of behaviors because they’re not meant to be in a zoo. They’re not meant to be behind bars.

 

They’re meant to be roaming free. They’re meant to be with their families. They’re meant to make new families of shared experience.

 

And to see them having to endure this is, it’s impossible to not beg Mayor Bass. Using social media, please use social media to try everything you can to get in front of her. You know, you don’t actually need to be able to call her or even, you know, Cher apparently, as we understand it, has had a little bit of a problem reaching her.

 

But social media always reaches the elected officials. They don’t like to be called out on social media. So please use social media to beg her to intervene and get Billy and Tina where they need to be at a sanctuary.

 

Well, that’s why we’re doing this today because this is an emergency town hall and there’s a lot going on. Let’s see if we can go back to the zoo. It’s a little bit shaky.

 

Hey guys, can you hear us? Hey, can you hear us out there? We’re live, you’re on.

 

Vic, you are on. Hey Vic, Vic, Vic, you’re on, you’re on live. What Vic, you’re live, you’re live, you’re live.

 

What’s happening?

 

[Speaker 2]

So the protesting is heating up.

 

[Speaker 1]

They’re chanting.

 

[Speaker 2]

Can you show it?

 

[Speaker 1]

Can you show the protest? There you go. Yes, okay, but yes, okay.

 

Right now you can see Corey back, the organizer. Okay, and who else? Tell us more.

 

So here we have another protester. The sign, may all beings be happy and free. What’s the reaction of people going to the zoo?

 

Can you get closer to the chanters? Get closer to the people chanting. Get right in front of the chanters so we can hear them.

 

Is it okay if I’m close to you? Yes, yes. Yeah, anything, anything.

 

You can start chanting and stuff. Pardon me? You’re doing chanting, right?

 

Yeah, yeah. Well, you don’t have to orchestrate it.

 

[Speaker 2]

Just watch, just show.

 

[Speaker 1]

Let me just say this. We have people who are volunteering to be reporters and they’re all getting on the job and that’s excellent. We just wanna see what’s there.

 

We don’t wanna orchestrate anything. So somebody’s chanting, let’s go up to them and hear the chanting. Perfect, perfect.

 

I would get closer. Vic, get closer. It’s hard to hear her, believe it or not.

 

Okay, well, we’re having a cup. Yeah, we’re not hearing her. We’re losing the sound, but there you go.

 

You’re seeing what’s happening. You see an elephant bumping their head up and down over and over and over. Hey Vic, can you hear me?

 

[Speaker 2]

Yes, so.

 

[Speaker 1]

Get closer to the bull horn so we can hear what she’s saying. Thank you for removing your hand and get closer to the bull horn. Appreciate you.

 

There you go. So what do we want? There’s no excuse.

 

Mother saying there’s no excuse. Your children are no excuse. Your ignorance is no excuse.

 

Your lack of respect for other individuals is no excuse. Your selfishness is no excuse. Your entitlement is no excuse.

 

Your incompetent zoo director is no excuse. Your traditions no excuse. Conservation’s no excuse.

 

Education’s no excuse. Okay, so you’re hearing, you’ve been hearing the protest. Just stay on, stay.

 

Yes, we hope they stay on and show what’s happening. But as you see this, let’s go back to our panel and, you know, okay, Patty Schenker, weigh in. Well, first of all, I want to point out that if they send Billy and Tina to Oklahoma, Billy will be raped.

 

To get his semen, which they have not been able to do, he will be raped repeatedly and then the females will be raped to be impregnated. Secondly, I want to go back in history. I want you to explain that a little bit for people who don’t understand.

 

They go inside the anus of Billy to try to excite him, is my understanding the way they do it. Maybe they also masturbate him. I’m not really sure, but I do know that it is forced.

 

It is not something he is consenting to, nor the females. It’s just like the cows and the bulls. But I want to go back in history.

 

Gita, I don’t remember what year, she died after languishing for 17 hours without any veterinary care. Mayor Villaraigosa directed the zoo to send Ruby to Paws Sanctuary and I was part of that. I helped to get that done and I am very proud of that.

 

The mayor can unilaterally decide to send them both to a sanctuary and she should. And the way I think we need to frame it is instead of free Billy, because Billy will never be free. None of these elephants will ever be free again.

 

They’ll go to a sanctuary, which is a lot closer to the wildlife than a small little space with no enrichment or anything. I lost my train of thought, I’m sorry. Oh, is that they will never be free, but let’s retire them.

 

Billy has served over 33 years for the LA Zoo as a civil servant. He needs to be retired and let go to a sanctuary as well as Tina, as well as all the elephants in zoos and captivity. This is just so wrong.

 

And I just want to point out when I used to go to the zoo and protest, this is from Daphne Sheldrick who rescued more African elephants than anyone. And she says here, what you are seeing in a zoo is not an elephant. What you are seeing is a tragedy.

 

And that is the truth in just a few words. All right. Wow, very, very powerful words.

 

What would you say to that? Lindsay Baker, you’ve covered this story for a long time. Yeah, I just, I think what she said is so eloquent.

 

And the thing that I wrote her a note was educate. Educate because we have to get this information to the public, just like the thing of the zoo, the people that had those who said, well, they’re gonna be in a herd. That’s the best thing for them.

 

Elephants choose who they want to be with. In that situation, there is zero choice for the elephants. And people need to know about this.

 

The picture they paint and they are continued to be allowed to paint is that they’re happy in the zoos. I think as those of us activists, I think one of the ways we can really help is to change it, to slash that image. Like Simone said, we can do it on social media.

 

So I think that’s one of the things we can do. And I was just looking up here, Dan Ash, who is the head of Association of Zoos and Aquariums, AZA. How do we reach this gentleman?

 

How do we talk to him and say, ensure the zoo, they’re not gonna get kicked out. I mean, right now, I wanna be a little Machiavellian and say like, let’s get to what we want to happen. We’ll go for bigger changes as we can.

 

And let’s go, who can we go after? We need to go over Mayor Bass, go after, sorry, I’m getting myself all worked up, Mayor Bass and Dan Ash. And we need to get this change to happen.

 

My question is, is there a political cost to Mayor Bass to just go with this, there’s protest, there’s all this happening and there’s just lawsuits, protests. And my question is, is there a political cost to Mayor Bass to ignore all this? I wanna go to Simone Reyes on that.

 

What do you think the political cost is to her? Is she aware that 66% of people in the United States are pet owners, they have companion animals and those people are animal lovers and an increasing number of them don’t like to see what’s happening? Right, so the political cost, if she really looks at it, is to not do what the people want.

 

The political cost is to look like somebody who puts greed over what’s right. And the fact is, is that when you have celebrities like Cher and so many others begging her to use her power, she has an incredible power in this city and to beg her to do what’s right. The political cost is to not do that, to not get reelected, to have your name constantly being put on social media in a negative light.

 

I mean, I think that that’s what she’s missing by not stepping forward already and saying, I don’t want my name muddied by this. It’s obvious to anyone that a sanctuary is better than a zoo. It is literally obvious to anyone.

 

You don’t have to be an animal rights activist to know that. So the fact that she’s allowing these other voices to come into her head and who are part of the machine of enslaving animals to tell her what is right is politically insane. Okay, so you think that there is gonna be a political cost to it.

 

And that’s interesting because I don’t know if the city and the mayor appreciates that. Okay, is anything happening? Vic, we’re gonna go back to you.

 

What’s going on? And please get very close to anybody you’re speaking to. Okay, you’re live, Vic.

 

So hi, Jane, we have the attorney, Melissa Lerner here. You can talk right to her. Come very close, Melissa.

 

Hello, you’re the attorney. What suit did you file? Tell us all about it.

 

Speak up, ma’am. So we filed a lawsuit on behalf of a concerned citizen of Los Angeles, a concerned resident, who was duped by statements by Denise Barrett, the zoo director who serves at Mayor Karen Bass’s discretion and only responds and answers to her and is responsible to, accountable to her. False statements and misleading statements that Billy and Tina were finally being sent to a preserve somewhere where they could thrive, that was great for their health and their wellbeing, only to realize that in fact, this preserve is just another enclosure at another zoo at the Tulsa Zoo, which also has a very troubling history of mistreating elephants, aggressive captive breeding programs, and so many problems, the same problems and the same inhumane conditions that Billy and Tina have suffered for years here at the LA Zoo. So we’re demanding that Mayor Bass and Denise Barrett stop the transfer, give an opportunity for the city council to review all of the evidence, all of the research, which is well settled at zoos are inhumane environments for elephants, and to consider other options like sending Billy and Tina to a true sanctuary, which is where they deserve to be after having been in confinement and in captivity for decades, so that they can finally have, yes, sorry.

 

Perfect, no, just open, just widen out, just a scooch, we’re not seeing your whole face, so just widen out a little bit, there, perfect, perfect. Now, there’s a fear that they’re going to be sent a little wider, just a scooch, so we can see her face. Thank you.

 

There’s a fear that they could be sent at any moment. Tell us about the injunction aspect of this, thank you. Absolutely, so we filed, along with our complaint, a draft of a request on emergency basis for a temporary restraining order that would just keep the status quo and ensure that Billy and Tina remain here at the zoo until, at the LA Zoo, and are not transported to a different zoo halfway across the country until the city council, in public, with due process and with transparency for all of the public, is able to review other options, including sanctuaries.

 

So, as soon as we have a assigned case number and judge, we’re going to be going in and filing that. We’ve also asked, in our complaint, for preliminary injunctive relief to prevent the transfer, and as well as a permanent injunction that would send Billy and Tina to a sanctuary, where they will finally have peace and return to their own. Do you think it’s going to prevent Billy and Tina from being transferred, because there’s a fear that they might try to do it in the middle of the night?

 

Well, the city is on notice, and Mayor Karen Bass is on notice, that we have asked for this relief, that we have asked for this to be stopped, and that the public does not support transferring Billy and Tina to another zoo to doom them to more of the same. So, it would be a real shame, if knowing that this lawsuit has been filed, that they were asking for this relief, and that there are people out here protesting, and that there are many, many concerned citizens who have contacted Mayor Bass through the website link, which I will provide shortly, it would be very, very troubling, deeply troubling, about what our mayor thinks about the democratic process. If she were to know about this lawsuit, if she were to know about how angry people are, and the requested relief that we seek, and were to go ahead and do this in the middle of the night, in secret, it’s shameful, and I really hope that Mayor Bass will stand up and do what the people want, and that is to save Billy and Tina from just more of the same, and ensure that they really finally get the treatment that they deserve for the rest of their life, so that they can live out the rest of their lives in peace. And to that end, I just would encourage anyone who sees this to log on to the website bit.ly, so that’s bit.ly slash contact Mayor Bass. There’s a form for you to fill out, telling Mayor Bass how concerned and outraged we are as residents of Los Angeles about the treatment of Billy and Tina.

 

And I would encourage you also to tell all of your friends and anyone else who wants to stop this. They know that this is not the right thing to do. They know that there’s pending legal action, and it would be, as I said already, shameful and an insult to the democratic process if they were to go ahead with the move right now.

 

Now, you’ve been, I know you were on KFI yesterday talking. You’ve been on a whole bunch of programs. I know you’re holding a news conference there today.

 

Do you think the mayor is aware of what you’re doing at this point? Because I guess it’s really an audience of one to try to get the mayor aware. Absolutely, I think that there’s been a lot of news coverage about it.

 

And also this should come as no surprise. It’s just sort of the last and most recent step in something that has been a grassroots movement for years. I mean, Billy has been the subject of a lot of high profile activism and efforts to get him out of the LA Zoo and get him somewhere to a real sanctuary where he can thrive.

 

And especially since last year and the year before in 2023 and 2024 when the other, two other female elephants at the LA Zoo died and Denise Barrett, the director of the zoo, refused to provide any information to the city council about the circumstances under which they passed away. There’s just been even more urgency about protecting the two elephants that are still here. So- I just put up what you said, bit.ly forward slash contact mayor Bass. And I just looked at it on my phone. It’s very easy, in two seconds, you can send a message to mayor Bass. So- Absolutely.

 

What was your experience? I know Channel 4 News, KNBC has covered this issue, KFI radio, do you expect some media there when you hold your news conference today? Sorry, what was that?

 

Do you expect news media to show up today when you hold your news conference? Yes, we’re hoping so. We’ve released a press release about today’s news conference and we are hoping that we’ve gotten the word out and there will be more coverage of this today.

 

And I am going to have more information and more updates regarding the lawsuit and the unfolding situation tomorrow around 10 a.m. So there will be more coming and I hope that everyone stays tuned and continues to reach out. Thank you for posting the link on the screen. It is very easy to fill out and it’s critical that mayor Bass hear the will of the people and know that there’s pending legal action and a move at this time would be an offense to everyone who elected her and to democracy.

 

Wow, thank you, well said. Wow, thank you so much. And Vic, excellent job out there in the field.

 

Thank you. Wow, well, let’s get around Robin. What was everybody’s reaction to that?

 

Can we start with Simone Reyes? What was your reaction?

 

[Speaker 2]

Sorry, it’s my first time.

 

[Speaker 1]

No, you did great, he did great. Okay, go ahead. The very first thing that I said when I got the call from actually Judy Mancuso and Hayes from Social Compassion was there needs to be a lawsuit filed right now.

 

There needs to be a stay right now until everybody can weigh in and every contact that we have can get in touch with mayor Bass. So I’m thrilled to hear that this is already underway. It is, I think the only chance right now that we have while they are still physically at the LA Zoo to work this out and get them to a sanctuary.

 

So the fact that there is a lawsuit, literally was the first thing I said, we need a lawsuit right now. And that’s happening. So I think right now it’s on us, the public, who have, even as individuals, our own way of reaching mayor Bass, whether it’s social media, whether it’s through context, whether it’s through the link that you just put up.

 

Now is the time to do a very, very, very intense reaching out to her to have her understand that the world is watching and she has an opportunity here to do what’s right or to do what’s wrong. And what’s wrong will have implications and it will harm her politically. That is my opinion.

 

It will harm her politically. We need to remind her of that. She works for the people and the people have spoken.

 

We do not want them moved to a zoo. We want them moved to a sanctuary. Let me say this.

 

I just went to bit.ly forward slash contact mayor Bass. It’s right there. I’ll put myself on full screen.

 

There it is right there, bit.ly contact mayor Bass. And I filled it out very quickly. While Simone was speaking, I filled the entire thing out.

 

And now you’re gonna watch me hit submit. There it is. And it says, thank you.

 

Okay, so I urge everybody, if you do nothing else, copy this down right now. And everybody who’s part of this panel, I know a couple of you are joining on your phone so you can’t do it right this second, but do you see how it says contact mayor Bass? This is brilliant.

 

And it can reach the mayor immediately. I mean, the proof there is in the pudding that it’s reached. And what I said was just, there’s a place where you can write something.

 

I said, oh, it says what category? I said animal services, because that seemed to be the most appropriate category. And then I wrote, don’t move Billy and Tina to a zoo, sanctuary.

 

Now you could write more if you have more time, but I’m in the middle of all of this. So I wanted to do it very quickly. But this is a really good way to get a message to her.

 

You know, so what are, let’s continue the round robin. What were your thoughts, Courtney Scott, about what you just heard from that attorney? Go ahead, Courtney.

 

Well, I’m very, I don’t see any action for the elephants and I hope that they can get the court to rule. I think it’s gonna happen Tuesday, the last I heard, about whether the court will allow the TRO, the Temporary Restraining Order to go through. That will decide everything, because once that happens, then we have, like she said, then we will have the time to pursue it further.

 

And I just wanna mention that the block that we see, and I see this from activists who write to us, right? Supporters who are thinking that the, because the Tulsa Zoo is calling it a preserve, they are actually thinking that it is a good place. So our job is to educate the public about the reality of the zoo and how zoos use language to fool the public.

 

Like they’ll call it, you know, preserve or elephant lands or elephant track or, you know, names like that. So that’s the hurdle that we have to overcome with the public. Oh, we’ve mentioned that Cher, the star, has done a video and she has done a video basically to plead for Billy and by extension, Tina, to be moved to the LA Zoo.

 

And here is part of that video that’s really difficult to watch. And this is how she maintains that Billy was trained as a young elephant. And when Billy was just a calf, to prepare him for a lifetime in captivity, he was forced to endure a brutal training regime which still affects his mental wellbeing.

 

[Speaker 2]

Billy came to the LA Zoo in 1989. He was only about four years old.

 

[Speaker 1]

This is a training video made at the zoo with Billy as an example of how to train an elephant. Billy’s tusks have been cut, his front legs chained and the bullhook held by the trainer.

 

[Speaker 2]

Here the trainer pulls Billy down by block and tackle using front and rear leg chains.

 

[Speaker 1]

That is so upsetting to me. Why don’t we, we can see if, Vic, you’re out there. Anything new happening out there?

 

Yes, Jane. So we have press here, as you can see in the background. There’s a bunch of press arriving.

 

And we also have Michael here who had just been in the zoo. Michael, do you wanna share what you saw in there? Hi, Jane.

 

Yeah, I just saw Billy. I had seen Billy probably 10 years ago and it’s nothing short of depressing and sad. You could cry a river, really.

 

And I’m gonna be giving a TEDx talk about elephants in zoos. And I’ve been to Africa five times. I’ve seen elephants in the wild and the stereotypic behavior that you see here in the zoo, it’s just sad, depressing.

 

And the right thing to do, it’s so obvious, is send them to a sanctuary. I’ve visited the Paw Sanctuary in Northern California many years ago. And this is such an opportunity to do the compassionate right thing.

 

It’s so black and white. I don’t know why the zoo refuses to budge on this. It’s really mind-boggling.

 

And we need to get the mayor involved. She needs to step in. And they wanna move the elephants at night so no one can be here to protest.

 

And it’s just, there’s a chance for compassion and empathy and love. And that’s what we need to do. What would you say to Mayor Bass if you could say one thing?

 

The city of Los Angeles, as you represent, has a beautiful opportunity to do the right thing. And it’s compassion and love and empathy towards these sentient, beautiful beings. They deserve a life.

 

They’ve been in captivity and confinement for decades. And I think it’s something that the kids would be proud of. Bunch of kids walking into the zoo now, give thumbs up to the protesters here.

 

They get it. Maybe their parents don’t get it, but the kids get it. And it’s all about education.

 

And boy, this would be great for the mayor to do the right thing. And get the whole city involved. All the other, these are the last two elephants left in California, I believe.

 

All the other zoos are sent to them. Yeah, zoos, yeah. I don’t know about that.

 

I can’t confirm. I have no idea. There’s the San Diego Zoo.

 

There’s all sorts of zoos. I don’t know. Okay, I’ll take that back.

 

No, I mean, we don’t know. I don’t have that independent. So, do the buildings seem depressed to you?

 

Yeah. Well, the enclosure is depressing. I mean, I didn’t see any water.

 

I’m sure there is some water for drinking, but I didn’t see any. And it’s just fencing and concrete and nothing representing what elephants do in the wild. Zero, minus zero.

 

For the crime of being beautiful.

 

[Speaker 2]

And this zoo is about, I’m not sure. Not sure.

 

[Speaker 1]

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.

 

[Speaker 2]

Yeah, thank you.

 

[Speaker 1]

Thanks for getting to work with me. Yes, and I’m so happy to hear. Vic, you’re doing an amazing job out there.

 

By the way, everybody, this is the first time that Vic, our new volunteer reporter at Unshade TV has ever done this. And he’s doing an incredible job, just learning on the go. I hope you can bring us the news conference.

 

And Vic, let me ask you, what are the news media there that you’re seeing? And it’s great to see reporters there. Because frankly, that’s what moves the needle.

 

The mainstream media, when the mayor and the city officials see that the mainstream media is there, that’s when they start caring to the, at least that’s the opinion of cynics. I’ve been in the news business many years, and that seems to move the needle more than anything else. So Vic, we’ll be back to you in a second.

 

We’ll come back when the, let us know, Vic, when the news conference is starting, okay?

 

[Speaker 2]

Yes, thanks, Jane. So we have some people from ABC News. That’s what you see right here.

 

[Speaker 1]

Yeah.

 

[Speaker 2]

And I’ll let you know when the conference starts. It’ll be right here, I believe.

 

[Speaker 1]

Okay. Excellent. Oh, look at that.

 

That’s a good sign. KCAL News is there. Channel 7 is there.

 

Thank you. Okay, we’ll monitor the situation. And as soon as it starts, we will go back to you.

 

Wow. So yeah, let’s go back to our panel. Wow, that is really good news.

 

Don’t you think, Patty? Because honestly, we know what moves the needle politically. Absolutely.

 

The media is so important. And we do need to educate, I agree with Lindsey. We still need to educate people.

 

I’m thrilled that there is a lawsuit to stop this from happening in the middle of the night or whatever. As far as politically with Karen Bass, I think she’s been given a gift. The zoo has already agreed to let the elephants go.

 

So to me, the political heat has been taken off of her. It would be so easy for her to say, two elephants have died in the last couple of years here. We need to send these two to a sanctuary to thrive and live.

 

By the way, this bitly message that is so easy to send, we have somebody here, Mimi, who says, done, contacted Mayor Bass. So if you haven’t done that yet, I urge everybody watching to immediately, this is a very easy bitly, just put it in. And I’m telling you, I did it while I was doing this.

 

It’s so easy to do. And contact Mayor Bass. And then please let us know when you’ve contacted and we will put that up on our social media feed.

 

So things are coming together. We’ve got this news conference. It’s gonna start probably in just a minute or two.

 

Let’s do a quick round robin. What are your thoughts, Lindsay, as you watch all this unfold? Well, like everyone else, I’m very happy about the lawsuit.

 

And I think the main thing that, although we’re not mass media, we have tremendous power. We can get this out. I personally pledge.

 

I don’t have my phone in the room. I have a puppy. It’s complicated.

 

I’m in a room where I don’t have a phone, but as soon as I get off, I’m going to do it immediately. And also I pledge to put it off all my social media, asking everyone I know to please contact her. But I just wanted to say one more thing.

 

I think it’s also important for us to call. And it’s also important for us to send emails. Although this is an action we can all take, I think it’s even more, it’s important that we also go further with this.

 

We have to push this now. And I think we have the momentum to do it. So if we all come together in every possible way, whatever our strength is, I think we can do that.

 

Hello? So sorry, I muted myself accidentally. Apologies.

 

Do you think we should have protests at city hall? You know, a lot of people say politicians just want to wait out a crisis. Oh yeah, everybody’s upset today, but this’ll blow over.

 

How do we keep that from that mentality that, oh, let’s just do what we’re going to do. We’re just going to wait for this to blow over. And you can unmute yourself, Simone.

 

Of course, there should be protests everywhere. So whether it’s using your online presence to go live, even not today, just tonight walking by the zoo after you do your Mother’s Day celebrations, whether it’s organizing with other groups to do a protest, the fact is a protest only needs one person. That’s a protest.

 

That’s right. And to get more people there is fantastic. But letting the news know, letting major media know, posting on social media, going live.

 

The only thing is, you know, when we do that, we can’t just be complaining, right? We have to give people like Jane is doing here with links on what to do because people feel very powerless in these situations. And the truth is, is that we’re not powerless at all.

 

We have so much power by showing up, by making calls, by sending emails, by tagging on social media. We have so much power. So use it and use it now because literally this is when it’s going to be decided.

 

You know, the statute is incredible, but we have to act immediately. Yes. And I’m telling everybody, there’s a whole bunch of people watching this on social media, do it.

 

And then let us know you’ve done it and we’ll spread the word. Again, if you’re joining us, this is an emergency town hall that we have basically arranged just in overnight because word was spreading among the animal activist community that the fear that they might try to move Billy and Tina in the middle of the night. So an attorney filed a lawsuit and there is an injunction attached.

 

She will go to court, I believe tomorrow. She’s about to hold the news conference now to reveal other details, but she will go to court tomorrow and basically seek an injunction to prevent the moving of Tina and Billy from this zoo to another zoo when a sanctuary has been willing to take Tina and Billy at no cost and moving them to another zoo would cost the city $44,000. So, you know, it’s so interesting because for example, former councilman Paul Koretz years ago said that Billy needs to go to a sanctuary.

 

[Speaker 2]

I believe a well-run sanctuary with proper veterinary support is a much better environment for an elephant. It allows an elephant to really be an elephant. No matter how well run a zoo might be, it’s inevitably not as natural or healthy an environment for these animals.

 

And that is why I’ve been working to free Billy for more than a decade.

 

[Speaker 1]

So yeah, the news conference is about to start. We are live, as you can see Vic there, he’s our new reporter. He’s doing a bang up job, having never done this before.

 

And it’s not that easy. I gotta tell you to be out there bringing all this to the public, but he’s getting ready when the news conference starts. It’s 1103, it was supposed to start at 11.

 

So it’s probably gonna start any minute now and we will bring it to you live. So what I would like to do is really, let’s go back, let’s go back. What’s happening over there Vic?

 

Bring us the latest.

 

[Speaker 2]

The chants have started again and we have Melissa here who spoke with us earlier. She is briefing the press and I believe this will go live soon.

 

[Speaker 1]

Yeah, let’s go there and get what she’s saying. Try to stay as steady as you can. I don’t want to get into the shots of the other people, but we want to hear.

 

So let’s see. You could probably get closer if you get lower so you wouldn’t block the other cameras but you could get closer to here. She is briefing the press.

 

She spoke with us earlier. She is briefing the press. So you can see, you can see that she’s briefing, she’s briefing the press.

 

She spoke to us earlier and she basically said that she’s filed a lawsuit and that as a result of filing the lawsuit, she hopes that prevents, she hopes that prevents the animals from being moved. So I don’t understand how we’re able to hear him when I’m meeting him, but it’s a mystery. In any case, we’ve got our team here, we’ve got our panel.

 

I’m gonna actually remove that and ask him to rejoin again because it was a little technical issue. Let’s see if we can add him to the stage again. I think, okay, we’re just gonna kick him out right now.

 

He’s kicked out of the studio. Oh, I know what it is. Somebody’s watching.

 

Is somebody watching? Is somebody watching? Yeah, Courtney, you’re, yeah.

 

That’s what it is. Courtney is watching and we’re hearing. Okay, so we lost him for that reason, but we’ll try to get him back.

 

Yeah, so she’s briefing the press. She already told us. So if you could, Lindsay Baker, give us your opinions on what the attorney said to us a little while ago about her lawsuit.

 

Well, I think she has a clear cut case. I mean, it’s pretty obvious, as Simone said, as Patty said, that it’s, it doesn’t take, as once you show people the truth, that it doesn’t take a lot of intelligence to figure out that the sanctuary is where they should be. They’re suffering.

 

In fact, the longer they stay there, the worse it is for them. They’re getting older, just like people. They’re going to suffer more.

 

And the fact that Billy went through the crush or pajama, whatever it’s called, this horrific torture, here in the United States, in a zoo, which says that it’s about conservation. What the F, come on. We have to really, we have to really put the pressure.

 

And I think if we do, and that’s the thing everyone’s saying, we have to do it now. But if we put that pressure, I think we have a really strong case. And the attorney is, you know, she’s got the ammunition, so it’s amazing.

 

We can do it. Hello? Hey, hey guys.

 

Did Jane get pushed to go out for a second, maybe? Simone, unmute yourself, please. Okay.

 

We couldn’t hear you. Yeah, that’s all right. What’s your thoughts on the attorney’s, you know, yeah.

 

The fact that they’ve acted swiftly is in our favor. The fact that they’re trying to get a stay is in our favor. The fact that they were able to get press there, which is incredible on Mother’s Day, on a Sunday is incredible.

 

So I think we’re positioned really well, but one lawsuit needs a lot of support. And that’s where we come in. We come in to constantly be tagging Mayor Bass, letting them know that the world, letting her know that the world is watching, using everything that we have in our arsenal to put this on everyone’s minds.

 

There’s not one person that doesn’t have five seconds to do it. Uh-oh, what just happened? We lost her.

 

Well, this is live television, folks. We are doing what usually takes, you know, millions of dollars and hundreds of people, just ourselves.

 

[Speaker 2]

Let’s go back out.

 

[Speaker 1]

Okay, what’s happening? Can you get, hey, Vic, get closer, get closer by going low. Go low, and you get down there, you won’t block their shot, but you can hear.

 

And then just get steady, and let’s hear what she’s saying. There will be some serious legal issues that you have to answer, not only to my client, but to the court system, which is meant to uphold the democratic process and put back the process like this. It comes with a mention of exactly what the people do, but that doesn’t mean that has no place among us.

 

You’re looking at the attorney who filed the lawsuit, speaking to the media at the Los Angeles Zoo. Yeah, okay, so the news conference is over, and you can see, bring us up to date, bring us up to date, Vic.

 

[Speaker 2]

Yeah, so the press had a lot of questions. One of those was, is there an agenda? Does LA Zoo have an agenda to send that two elephants to a zoo, another zoo, instead of a sanctuary, which is what everybody has been demanding, including council member Blumenfield.

 

And what Melissa said, that yes, there is an agenda, by sending the elephants to another zoo, they will legitimize the zoo and the zoo system itself. And so that’s the agenda. So they don’t wanna admit that sanctuaries are actually better for the animals, because essentially it will hurt their business.

 

And she was also talking about how sanctuary is more like the wild, where the elephants are more accustomed to, which is their home. And so sanctuaries are a much better choice. And they’re just trying to get Mayor Bass’s attention.

 

That’s what their goal is right now.

 

[Speaker 1]

Let me ask you this question. Did she reveal anything else about the injunction? Because when we spoke to her earlier, she said there might be some new information that she would reveal at the news conference.

 

Is there anything about the injunction? Let me, we can go talk to her and then find out. Well, yeah, I mean, you’re seeing this live at the LA Zoo.

 

This is live as it happens. Of course, when it’s live, it’s always a little bit, we’re all basically going by the seat of our pants, trying to get this information to you in this Unchained TV emergency town hall, when word spread that they might try to move Billy and Tina in the middle of the night. We decided to hold an emergency town hall and we have a protest at the news conference.

 

[Speaker 2]

Okay, what’s happening? Vic?

 

[Speaker 1]

Okay, wait, Vic, Vic. Do you mind telling someone? Yeah, so we have some new info about when the TRO will be filed here.

 

Okay, go ahead. Hi, I’m an attorney. I work with Melissa, who you just heard from.

 

My name’s Kelsey. We’re gonna be going in, we’re filing our TRO, our ex parte application for a TRO tomorrow morning, so that it can be heard on Tuesday. So you’ll have more information tomorrow morning, confirmation that the elephants are still here and haven’t been moved in secret tonight.

 

And then we’ll be able to go in for it, so you’ll have much more of an update on Tuesday morning after we get a ruling from the judge. Is there any effort to monitor the zoo overnight, to have a team monitor the zoo to make sure that they don’t try to sneak the elephants out tonight? I don’t know of any efforts to do that, you know, through Melissa and Maya’s law firm, but there might be, there might be.

 

There’s a lot of high profile activists that are involved in this, so that wouldn’t surprise me. But it’s not that we’re gonna do citizens arrests if they do. You know, we’re just gonna go into court and try to get lawful relief.

 

Do you think the judge could give you an injunction, like grant your injunction immediately? Yes, so a TRO is a temporary restraining order, which means that it would be granted and it would preserve the status quo until the hearing on the preliminary injunction can happen. So it will happen on Tuesday, or they’ll deny it.

 

Hopefully that will happen. And why not do it Monday? So we have to give statutory notice.

 

So there’s rules about how quickly you can go in. We had to file the lawsuit Friday as soon as we found out that Tina was in manacles and that that means that they’re probably going to move her imminently. So as soon as we learned that, we filed as soon as we could, but we don’t have a judge yet, we don’t have an assigned department, we don’t have a signed case number.

 

So we have to wait and file it on Monday morning to be sent on Tuesday. What did you say Tina had? So she has braces on her foot, manacles or, you know, giant elephant handcuffs, which indicate that potentially she is going to be moved very soon because that is what they will use to either pull her into the moving vehicle or pull her into the Tulsa Zoo.

 

Tulsa Zoo, talk to me if I can feel it. Wow, so that means she’s not going willingly. She’s literally being, this is like an abduction.

 

It’s going to be incredibly traumatic for Tina and for Billy to be moved like this. Yes, across the country. Oh my God, oh my God.

 

Well, you know, let me ask you, what would you say to Mayor Bass if you had an opportunity? So I would tell Mayor Bass that this is what the people want. The people want to maintain the status quo, keep Billy and Tina here and then transfer them to a sanctuary as the people have been promised by the LA Zoo and the LA City.

 

They have put out press releases that they are in their, you know, working in the elephant’s best interest and that they are moving them to a preserve. We just want them to, you know, uphold their work to the people. I think that she should listen to her citizens and follow due process is what I think.

 

Amazing, thank you so much for taking the time. And again, great job, Vic, out there. Just a new reporter who’s volunteered to Unshade TV.

 

Great job, Vic, really, really great job.

 

[Speaker 2]

Thank you so much. We’ll come back to you in a minute.

 

[Speaker 1]

So let’s get a round robin on that. Like, what’s your reaction to that, Patty Shanker? To which part?

 

Well, to the whole thing. I mean, I’m thrilled there’s a lawsuit. I think we should maybe have a, I’m more into a rally right now because no, what are we protesting?

 

You know, to me, it’s a rally to get Mayor Bass and City Council to send them to a sanctuary. I think we should be at the courthouse on Tuesday morning and perhaps go to City Hall from there. I do think we should be physically out there showing that we are demanding sanctuary, that sending them to another zoo is insane and show that we’re there like we did for the shelter pets.

 

And look it, she changed her mind very quickly on that one. Yeah, you know, you’re making an excellent point. There was here in Los Angeles just about, what was it, about a week ago?

 

Two weeks, I think. Two weeks ago, there was word that erupted that the city was gonna radically slash Los Angeles Animal Services, basically the shelter system, and fire a whole bunch of people and cut the budget. And all these pet lovers and rescue people who are a little bit different than some other animal rights activists that care for all animals.

 

But anyway, they mobilized. They were just barreling into City Hall and guess what? Miraculously, $5 million suddenly appeared.

 

Oh no, we’re not gonna do that. So you’re saying the same amount of intensity needs to happen for this to work. Is that what you’re saying?

 

Well, I don’t know that we could get as many people out there on a Tuesday morning because most people are at jobs. But just a good show of people and maybe going back again and stuff. I think we need to be seen, not just heard, and not just calls and emails.

 

We need to be seen out there and we need to educate. And hopefully we get more media. But I think we also need to show support for this motion.

 

So I am planning on being in front of the courthouse. I have the address. I’ll give it to you later, Jane.

 

Well, no, I mean, tell us all. So anybody who’s watching wants to go. Well, I can’t because I’m on my phone and that’s where the information is.

 

But yeah, basically there’s gonna be a hearing on Tuesday morning. And the only reason it’s not tomorrow, Monday, is that there’s a legal process that has to happen. Simone, weigh in.

 

What are your thoughts on all of this? I mean, I think as with most people, my immediate thought is, oh God, what’s gonna happen tonight? What’s gonna happen tomorrow?

 

What’s gonna happen tomorrow night before they get to training ordering? Which means that everyone needs to flood Maribeth’s social media and any other ways to reach her right now. She can still, if that is the plan, and again, we don’t know, but it sounds like it certainly might be.

 

There’s no way that the zoos aren’t listening to the press conference. There’s no way that they don’t know that there’s a lawsuit. There’s no way that they don’t know that nothing can be granted until Tuesday morning.

 

This is Sunday. This means that this is critical that the mayor hears from everyone immediately right now. But do you think we should also have a team monitoring the zoo to make sure that they, well, I mean- I think Cory’s doing that.

 

Okay, what are you saying, Patty? I think Cory is doing that. I think that, I don’t think they’re there all night watching, but I think they are there throughout the day.

 

I don’t know this for a fact, but this is what I have heard, that they’re keeping their eyes out very closely on the zoo. Maybe we need to have a team there all night. I mean, you know, this is the moment.

 

Let me tell you, I’ve been a reporter for more than 30 years. I’ve covered this for decades. Billy, there’s an attorney named David Castleman, who for decades was fighting to get Billy out to a sanctuary.

 

There’s a giant sanctuary in Asia that he said he would pay for everything or that they would arrange payment. I mean, this has been going on for like 20 years and this is the moment of truth. Billy is in there right now.

 

He cannot speak for himself. So that’s why we held this emergency town hall because after all these decades, this is the moment of truth. Personally, I think that the most promising thing that has happened is that the local news media showed up for that news conference because the politicians, they just, they’re basically calculating.

 

It’s game theory. What’s gonna hurt me more? What’s gonna help me more?

 

I mean, that’s my cynical belief and I’ve watched it in action for many, many years. I do wanna go back and show the confrontation that brought this to a head because council member Blumenfield wants these animals to go to a sanctuary. He had a confrontation that was videotaped with the head of the Los Angeles Zoo.

 

And here it is. It’s quite a long confrontation, but this gives you a sense of it.

 

[Speaker 2]

It’s your desire to send them to the Tulsa Zoo instead of the ACA accredited sanctuaries. It would seem that sending an elephant to a sanctuary where you have 3,000 acres to roam would be better than a zoo where you have 20 acres or less just from the benefit of that elephant. Could you explain why that’s not the case?

 

[Speaker 1]

While space might be one consideration of a factor that can contribute to an animal’s wellbeing, it’s not the only thing. It’s the opportunity to be in a social environment, in a herd environment. It’s the quality of the care and the individual needs of the animal.

 

And all of that in combination, we feel they can achieve at the Tulsa Zoo.

 

[Speaker 2]

And you think that what they get at the Tulsa Zoo is substantially better than what they would get at the ACA accredited sanctuary?

 

[Speaker 1]

I think what they can get at the Tulsa Zoo is the ability to be in an environment where they can thrive. Is it better than the other environment? It’s not a matter, is one better than the other?

 

You could say a sanctuary can provide a great environment for a particular animal based on its needs the same way that a zoo can. Wow, I mean, your reaction to that, Lindsay Baker, just- She’s saying that one’s not better than the other. She’s telling us what to think.

 

She’s telling us to be stupid. That’s ridiculous. Of course, one thing is better than the other and it’s clearly better than the other.

 

So how long are these politicians gonna continue to play this game? I agree with Patty, I agree with Simone and we just have to get to work now, I think. All right, well, I think that we’ve kind of covered this.

 

Again, I think the most important thing and I’m gonna try to find it right here. This is very easy. Even while I was doing this, I went on bit.ly, bit.ly forward slash contact mayor Bass and I sent a letter. It takes two seconds. Everybody, please, please, anywhere you live in the world, do this. This is the most important thing we can do and also keep the pressure up.

 

Luckily, the news media was there, which is wonderful. We’re gonna get final thoughts and then we’re gonna wrap it up. Why don’t we go back out to Vic, who has done a great job.

 

Vikram, you are a natural reporter. So why don’t you bring us your final thoughts in a wrap up? Tell us.

 

Absolutely. Do you mind if we speak with Elvia?

 

[Speaker 2]

She’s here every week with her mother.

 

[Speaker 1]

Yes, yes. Hi, Jane. Hi.

 

What’s your feeling about everything today? Oh, I’m very disappointed with the zoo, what they’re trying to do, to transfer them to another zoo. And it’s very heartbreaking for these poor elephants that have been suffering here with psychosis and other medical illnesses with their feet, standing on the hard concrete, covered with the little dirt.

 

I’m just so heartbroken and trying to use my voice to get them to a sanctuary, to make the zoo see that that’s the next best option for them since they can’t be returned to the wild, but to a sanctuary. If they really care about these poor elephants, they would send them to a sanctuary and not just another zoo where they’re gonna be crammed in with seven other elephants. Hi, Jane.

 

Do you think anybody is going to be there to monitor tonight to try to make sure that the elephants are not removed in the dead of night? That I’m not sure. Yeah.

 

Yeah, I’m not sure. Yeah, maybe we can ask Corey Mack about that, Vikram. Yeah, and I wouldn’t wanna say, I mean, I don’t know.

 

Yeah, maybe Corey. Okay, maybe we can get Corey. So while you try to get Corey, if you could try to get Corey again, Vikram, to ask her about that.

 

That’s the final thing. Yes, Tiffany is looking for Corey right now. We’ll come back to you.

 

If you go find her and we’ll come back to you. All right, everybody, we’re gonna go to final thoughts. This has been a very momentous day.

 

I think considering that we just planned on this last night, it turned out pretty smooth. We had a few bumps, but that’s live TV. Let’s get final thoughts, starting with Patty Schenker.

 

Well, it’s wonderful to see all the activism that is around getting them to sanctuary. This is very important. The fact that the zoo has decided to let them go is a very huge step, and we have to make sure that they go to sanctuary.

 

A lot of people are not educated about it. The zoo is kind of like the cult. Even when they learn the facts, they don’t really accept them.

 

Paul Koretz years ago talked for 10 minutes at a neighborhood council meeting, talked about elephants and how they need to move and how they walk 50 miles a day to forage for food and water. And then a zoo volunteer came up and said, well, Billy doesn’t have to do that. The food is brought to him.

 

So this is the kind of mentality that we are dealing with, but we can do this and we must do this, and I am grateful for everyone. I really feel like we’re so, so very close now, and we have to do right for these two suffering elephants. Thank you all.

 

Well said. Okay, Courtney Scott with In Defense of Animals, your final thoughts. Okay, I just wanna say special thanks to Corey and Los Angeles for Animals for being out there every single week and supporting these elephants.

 

Also, I wanna say one more thing about the motion. There is a motion that people can also support besides calling Mayor Bass, still at the city council. And there’s three committee members that need to hear from people to say, please put this on the agenda and get this motion moving.

 

The motion is to force the zoo to look at other options before they send the elephants off to another zoo, which as I mentioned, is also one of the worst zoos for elephants. So anyway, thanks to all the activists, all the groups that are mentioned here, and all the work from everybody, including you, Jane, for all these years of helping the elephants. They so deserve it, Patty, you’re so right.

 

And thank you, Courtney, for all you do. Let’s go to Simone Reyes’ final thoughts. Well, I think if we’ve learned anything is that we all have to act very quickly and very swiftly.

 

We have to use everything that we have in our arsenal to get through to the mayor. She seems to be our hope for until the actual order can go through, which we pray that it does in order to have a restraining order so that we can go through the proper channels in order to make sure that these animals are going to a sanctuary and are heard, and that the people are heard. So right now, I would just beg everyone to please use your social media, use the link that Jane has provided to get through to the mayor and tell her that the people of Los Angeles want Billy and Tina moved to a sanctuary and not to another zoo, and that we are watching, the world is watching.

 

Well said, thank you all. I know it’s Mother’s Day. It’s a busy day.

 

I wanna thank you all for devoting an hour and a half of your time. We’re gonna go back now for the final word. Vick, what’s happening?

 

Hi, we have, remind me if I can be in the name. Yeah, Ariana Marie. Yeah, we have.

 

What are your thoughts and why are you here? I’m just honestly amazed that the LA Zoo and Denise Barrett announced that they’re sending Billy and Tina to another zoo all the way in Oklahoma instead of a sanctuary, when there have been sanctuaries at the ready to take them for years. They’re gonna be crammed with five other elephants in 10 acres.

 

And they announced, the Tulsa Zoo announced that they are wanting to have up to 15 elephants there, which I just, I can’t even comprehend. There’s no solid reason. I even talked to somebody who was coming to the zoo.

 

They also don’t understand why they wouldn’t send them to a sanctuary. All right, do you think, does anybody, is there anybody there who’s gonna monitor the zoo tonight to make sure they don’t try to sneak them out? I don’t know for sure, but I will definitely check.

 

I know we’ve had people aware of that and trying to be aware of the overnight shift, so to speak, to make sure that the elephants aren’t moved. Let us know. Well, if anybody’s there, we should definitely make sure that they have the ability to go live to show what’s happening if they try to do that so there’s evidence.

 

Absolutely, absolutely. And let’s pray they don’t try to do that. Let’s pray.

 

I really hope not. I hope all this attention is for a reason and it’s because they’re going to sanctuary. I have to believe that they’re going to sanctuary because I think it is a death sentence for these elephants if they go to another zoo.

 

All right, well, on that note, I’m going to wrap it up. I want to thank everybody for being a part of this. I think she’s wrapping up.

 

She’s wrapping up. No, no, Corey, if Corey’s there, we want to talk to her.

 

[Speaker 2]

Corey, is Corey there?

 

[Speaker 1]

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, we have Corey. Let me get to Corey.

 

Yeah, sure. Yeah, and again, Vic, who’s our new Unchained TV volunteer reporter doing a great job out there with Tiffany Brunelli, who also is helping produce him. And this is much more difficult than you think to get there and to try to navigate with the phone.

 

That’s how we bring it to you. But we have to say that there was major news media there. There was KCAL and KABC, I believe.

 

[Speaker 2]

In case they’ve had to move them at night. Do you have any information?

 

[Speaker 1]

All right, so let’s see. Hi, Corey. Yeah, we’re just wrapping up.

 

We want to get your final thoughts. And also, is there going to be monitoring to try to make sure they don’t move them at night or to document whatever happens? Well, you know, we have had activists come and check on them at night.

 

But is there like overnight monitoring every night? No, I mean, we don’t have the wherewithal for that. Do you think the lawsuit is going to deter them now that there’s a lawsuit with an injunction attached?

 

I, like I said before, I’m not a legal person, so I can’t comment on that. Well, what are your final thoughts? That we’re going to stay here.

 

We’re going to keep pressing. We’re going to do, you know, everything we can. We’re trying to, if you know anyone in Tulsa, let us know also.

 

And we’re going to keep staying here after whatever happens. Unless they go to sanctuary. So if they go to sanctuary, you will stop the protest?

 

Yeah, if they go to sanctuary, yes. Well, thank you, Corey. We really appreciate you taking the time.

 

I know that it’s very tough to hold those protests. You heard it here first. Our protest is amazing.

 

Our activists are the best. They are here and counting. Every weekend they’ve been here.

 

Unbelievable dedication. Unbelievable dedication. So I just want to say, Mayor Bass, if you’re watching, if you want those protests to stop, send Billy and Tina to the sanctuary.

 

The organizer just said she would stop the protests, which have been going on for years, if they are sent to sanctuary. And just personally, as an Angeleno, as a citizen of this planet, I don’t want to see my tax dollars used in any way, shape, or form to transfer these animals to another zoo. You talk about $44,000 like it’s nothing.

 

It’s a lot of money. And we know that LA City is in crisis right now, a financial crisis. And there’s an offer to send these animals to a sanctuary free of charge.

 

And you’re going to still use $44,000 and act in a public hearing like that’s nothing, like that’s chump change. No, it’s not. It’s a lot of money.

 

And we taxpayers do not want to see our hard-earned tax dollars being spent for a terrible, terrible reason when there is a free solution to the city to go to sanctuary. This is a moment in history, people. We are at a turning point.

 

Zoos are a 19th century concept. And they either have to transform into sanctuaries or they have to go bye-bye. And this moment, Billy and Tina, in any social justice movement, there are moments.

 

There are moments that we can all remember where it was a turning point in history. This is a turning point in history. And that’s why we held the emergency town hall today because there is an opportunity, there is an opportunity for the city of angels to do the right thing.

 

I challenge Mayor Bass and I challenge the head of the LA Zoo to do the right thing and be on the right side of history. Thank you for joining us for this very special emergency Unchained TV town hall. Thank you.