The judge denied Thursday's temporary restraining order, trying to prevent the Los Angeles Zoo from transferring two beloved elephants to the Oklahoma zoo.

A Los Angeles resident sued the zoo last Friday for a decision to move elephants Tina and Billy to the Tulsa Zoo and think they should be taken to an animal sanctuary. His attorney then filed an emergency motion Tuesday to demand a temporary restraining order.

Melissa Lerner, the attorney representing the plaintiff, told reporters outside the court Thursday that the judge denied the motion “in large part it was based on this issue that should be addressed by the city council and Mayor Karen Bass, adding that the judge “encouraged the public to encourage the public to contact their council members and told them that it was undeniable, that it could be told them, that it could be told them.

Animal rights advocates have criticize La Zoo has secured elephants in a relatively small shell for decades, which they say can cause serious health problems. Over the past few years, two elephants have been euthanized for what the zoo calls age-related health problems, only Billy and Tina, who live in about 6.5 acres of elephant habitat.

The zoo announced that it would transfer the steel mill to the spacious elephant complex at the Tulsa Zoo in late April, sparking further criticism.

Outside the court, Lerner continued to call on the mayor to take action.

"Mayor Karen Bass can solve this problem with a phone call - it's not difficult," Lerner said. "We hope she can rise here and do the right thing here. She has the right to intervene and prevent their transfers from being too late."

Representatives from the mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The emergency application cites the urgency of the case and points out that transfers can occur at any time and transporting elephants can pose a serious health risk. It urged the judge to "maintain the status quo" by leaving Billy and Tina in Los Angeles until the court has more time to review the case.

Much of the initial lawsuit, including a statement from singer Cher, discussed how to make a decision process for moving objects without public or city council opinions.

In its first statement since the lawsuit was filed, the Los Angeles Zoo said Thursday morning that the “hard decision” to relocate Billy and Tina was based on recommendations and consultations with Assn. Zoos and aquariums and their elephant species survival plans.

"The care and well-being of animals is always the top priority, and the zoo director made decisions that influence animals, as appropriate - authorities granted in the city of Los Angeles Charter. The activist agenda and protests are not a consideration in decisions that affect animal care."

Denise Verret, director and CEO of La Zoo, was appointed as the defendant in the lawsuit.

Bob Blumenfield, a long-time elephant advocate for Los Angeles City Council, filed a motion last month to try to stop its relocation until the city council can review the possibility of sending them to shelters.

During last week's budget hearing, Blumenfield asked Verret a series of questions about the elephant. At a May 8 hearing, board members and zoo directors took a face-to-face perspective on the issue, with Los Angeles and Tulsa Zoo not having contracts yet and no transfer date was set.