Billy and Tina, a pair of Asian elephants long housed at the Los Angeles Zoo, are settling into their new home Thursday at the Tulsa Zoo, following a day of mystery that began when the animals were quietly removed from their enclosure at the Griffith Park facility.

Billy and Tina, the Los Angeles Zoo’s Asian elephants, were moved to Tulsa Zoo in May 2025, and several stars, politicians and animal advocacy organizations tried to stop the move.

Research reveals key brain differences between Asian and African elephants, offering insights into intelligence, behavior, and brain growth.

The whereabouts of Billy and Tina, a pair of Asian elephants long housed at the Los Angeles Zoo, are unclear Wednesday after a report they had been secretly removed and shipped to another zoo — but neither zoo officials nor Mayor Karen Bass’ office had an immediate response to requests for comment.

African elephants are the largest land animals on earth and significantly larger than their relatives in Asia, from which they are separated by millions of years of evolution. Nevertheless, Asian elephants have a 20 percent heavier brain,

Elephants are known for their intelligence, complex social behavior, memory and size, including their giant ears. The ears of African elephants ( Loxodonta africana) can grow up to 6.6 feet (2 meters) long and 4 feet (1.2 m) wide, while Asian elephants ( Elephas maximus) have slightly smaller and rounder ears.