Cher, 79, gives a heartbreaking plea to put ‘inhumane’ treatment of two elephants in captivity

Cher” Kim BasingerAnd Nicola Peltz Beckham belonged to the 20 celebrities who signed a letter in which he had urged La Mayor Karen -Bas To transport two older Asian elephants to a sanctuary instead of the Tulsa Zoo.

De la Zoo announced April 22 that they lost their last two remaining elephants Billy, a 40-year-old bull, and Tina, a 59-year-old woman after decades in captivity in a 6.5-hectare fence.

Both endangered animals were reportedly removed from the wild as babies when Billy was four years old when he arrived in the La Zoo in 1989.

Tina was reportedly traded in the circus in 1969 on one year old and had passed years of abuse of Circus before he arrived at the La Dierentuin in 2010.

“They both show symptoms of so -chewing – including functionless, repetitive movements such as rocking, waving and heading,” wrote lawyers Martin Singer and Melissa Glass in a letter obtained by TMZ.

‘We are informed that her transfer (and possibly the transfer of both Tina and Billy) will take place tonight or tomorrow under the cover of darkness and embezzlement. For weeks, Tina is bound with buoys and now Billy is also in chains as a prisoner. This indicates that their transport is on its own. ‘

Cher (L), Kim Basinger (M) and Nicola Peltz Beckham (r) were among the 20 celebrities that signed a letter in which Mayor Karen Bass was encouraged to transport two older Asian elephants to a sanctuary instead of the Tulsa Zoo

De la Zoo announced April 22 that they lost their last two remaining elephants Billy (L), a 40-year-old bull, and Tina (R), a 59-year-old woman after decades in a 6.5-hectare fence

La Zoo director Denise Verett said that moving Billy and Tina to the Tulsa would cost ZOO $ 44K, but the supporters of celebrities can “collect money easily enough to cover the costs of withdrawing Billy and Tina to real elephant sancties.”

Both Kim and Nicola Set Desperate supplications on Tuesday for the 71-year-old Democratic politician as Basinger blasted: ‘These are social animals that must be in a herd, not a prison chat! Where is your compassion? ‘

Meanwhile, Cher tweeted Her support for John Kelly’s lawsuit on 10 May to block the movement of the elephants, but a judge denied the temporary limiting order last Thursday.

The 79-year-old Pop Diva’s Passion for Pachyderms was previously recorded in the documentary Cher & The Loneliest Elephant of Paramount+ 2021, where she helped the 36-year-old Kavaan to a Cambodian sanctuary.

Alicia Silverstone, Diane Warren, Justin Theroux, Katherine Heigl, Lily Tomlin, Mena Suvari, Mira Sorvino, Priscilla Presley, Ron Livingston and Ron Perlman also signed the letter

On April 7, the Tulsa Zoo opened the recently renovated Mary K. and John T. Oxley Family Elephant Experience in addition to their 36,650 square base preservation shed and 10 -hectare elephant reserve.

Dr. Chris Draper, an international expert in animal behavior, visited the Tulsa Zoo on 10 May and called it ‘inhumane’ for the two men Sneezy and Hank and three women Sooky, Booper and Connie who live there.

‘Mist all five of the elephants[ed] Spiertonus and were not in an optimal body condition, and people had a cracked nail, “Dr. Draper in the letter.

‘When the [flooded] “Preserve” becomes usable, the elephants will not have unlimited access because the Tulsa if not all five elephants can place in such a relatively small space. ‘

He emphasized: “Accredited elephants Saints offer considerably more room, enough to enable elephants to cure physically and emotionally and to deal with a more natural range of behavior.”

Both endangered animals were reportedly removed from the wild as babies when Billy was four years old when he arrived in the La Zoo in 1989

Tina was reportedly traded in the circus in 1969 at one year old and passed years of abuse of circus before arriving in the La Zoo in 2010

La Zoo director Denise Verett (photo) said that moving Billy and Tina to the Tulsa Zoo $ 44k would cost, but the Celeb supporters can ‘easily raise money to cover the costs of withdrawing Billy and Tina to real elephant risks’

Both Kim and Nicola Instastoriated Desperate supplications on Tuesday for the 71-year-old Democratic politician and Basinger shoots: ‘These are social animals that must be in a herd, not a prison chat! Where is your compassion? ‘

In the meantime, Cher tweeted her support for John Kelly’s lawsuit on 10 May to block the movement of the elephants, but a judge denied the temporary limiting order last Thursday

The 79-year-old Pop Diva’s Passion for Pachyderms was previously recorded in the Paramount+ 2021 documentary Cher & The Loneliest Elephant, where she helped the 36-year-old Kavaan (L) to a Cambodian sanctuary

Alicia Silverstone (L), Diane Warren (M), Justin Theroux (R), Katherine Heigl, Lily Tomlin, Mena Suvari, Mira Sorvino, Priscilla Presley, Ron Livingston and Ron Perlman also signed the letter

On April 7, the Tulsa Zoo opened the newly renovated Mary K. and John T. Oxley Family Elephant Experience in addition to their 36,650 Square Foot Preservation Shed and 10 -hectare elephant reserve

In 2012, former La Zoo Zoo commissioner Betty White wrote about Billy and Tina (L) in her seventh book, Betty & Friends: My Life at the Zoo

Tina’s Companion Jewel (photo) was euthanized, at the age of 61, ‘because of the falling health’ in 2023 and another female elephant named Shaunzi was euthanized at the age of 53 in 2024 in the La Zoo in the La Zoo

In 2012, former La Zoo commissioner Betty White wrote about Billy and Tina in her seventh book, Betty & Friends: My Life at the Zoo.

The late National Treasure defended the renovated elephants of Asia and even testified to the LA city council when animal activists tried to stop the construction of the elephant habitat in 2008.

“It seemed like it would never happen, and to be almost closed, so close to the fruit – I think it was a whole week that I didn’t sleep,” Betty wrote at the time.

‘But yes by having perseverance, we have completed it, and it is nice on both sides of the housing. It’s great for the elephants, and it’s great for the people. ‘

Tina’s companion Jewel was euthanized, at the age of 61, ‘because of the falling health’ in 2023 and another female elephant named Shaunzi, at the age of 53 -was euthanized in 2024 in the La Zoo.

38 Zoos in North America have reportedly closed their elephant exhibitions – including the Monterey Zoo, Oakland Zoo, San Francisco Zoo, Santa Barbara Zoo, Sacramento Zoo and Six Flags Discovery Kingdom.