Tina

Tina is a female Asian elephant who has spent almost the entirety of her life held captive by zoos and circuses in the United States–a world away from the elephant family she was taken from when she was less than a year old. Currently held alone at the Los Angeles Zoo, separated from the other elephant confined there, Tina is suffering greatly from lack of social companions and from being forced to live in a small and barren environment that cannot meet her physical and psychological needs.

Born somewhere in Asia around 1966, Tina was captured in the wild and taken from her familial herd in 1967 and imported to the United States in 1969. For the next forty years, Tina was exploited by casinos and circuses and made to perform tricks and travel frequently across the country. From 1969 until 1980, Tina was held captive at the Nugget Casino in Nevada. The casino forced Tina and two other elephants who were confined with her to perform in a variety of animal acts and serve as a tourist attraction to bring in customers. Photos from her time at the casino show Tina wearing circus costumes, being held in barren enclosures with cement and other hard flooring, and wading in a makeshift water hole next to construction debris and trailers. 

From 1980 until 2009 Tina was owned and exploited by three different circuses. During this time, Tina was held captive with a female elephant named Jewel, who would be her companion for the next 40 years. While held captive by the circuses, Tina was transported across the country in tiny trailers and made to perform in shows, almost always under the threat of a bullhook (a device with a sharp, hooked end that causes elephants extreme pain). In 2009, Tina and Jewel were confiscated by the US Department of Agriculture because of neglect and mistreatment–both Tina and Jewel were dangerously underweight. Tina and her companion Jewel were transferred to the San Diego Zoo which then loaned them to the Los Angeles Zoo in 2010. 

Since 2010, Tina has been confined at the Los Angeles Zoo. The Los Angeles Zoo’s elephant program has been a source of controversy for decades, with a lawsuit alleging cruelty to the elephants, multiple attempts by the City Council to close the exhibit or relocate the elephants to sanctuary, and longstanding grassroots campaigns calling for the exhibit’s closure. The zoo has been featured in the annual “10 Worst Zoos for Elephants in North America” list for several years and in 2023 was named the worst zoo for elephants in North America. At the zoo, Tina is rotated between yards which vary in size from a quarter of a quarter of an acre to a little over one acre, with the entire exhibit and barn providing less than four acres of usable space for the elephants held captive there. 

In January 2023, Jewel, Tina’s close companion of 40 years, died. Less than a year later, Shaunzi, the other female elephant confined at the zoo, collapsed and was euthanized. Tina is now without the companionship of other female elephants and the zoo keeps her separated from Billy, the only other elephant at the zoo. Since losing her companions, Tina has frequently been observed engaging in stereotypic behavior, such as rocking and swaying, which is caused by chronic stress and brain dysregulation. 

The Los Angeles Zoo and the City of Los Angeles, which owns and operates the zoo, have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in Tina’s life by sending her to an accredited elephant sanctuary where she can live with other elephants and regain her freedom of choice. After over half a century in captivity, Tina deserves to live in a peaceful environment that allows her to roam freely on soft grass, wallow in mud and natural bodies of water, and spend time with other elephants if she so desires.