Six elephants are heading from Swaziland, Africa to Omaha, Nebraska. They are part of a group of 18 elephants making their way to three zoos in the United States.
RELATED: Permit approved for Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo, 2 others, to import elephants
They are on their way to the Dallas Zoo, Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium and Wichita's Sedgwick County Zoo. In a joint statement, the zoos said the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Swaziland wildlife authorities approved the permit and gave them legal authority to bring the animals to the United States.
The group Friends of Animals had taken legal action to block the elephants from coming to America. Michael Harris who is the Wildlife Law Program Director at Friends of Animals issued a statement saying their lawsuit claimed that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service "had a mandatory duty under the National Environmental Policy Act to fully evaluate and disclose whether the elephants, as a result of captivity, would suffer social, psychological, behavioral, and physical impacts for the rest of their lives."
Harris said a judge granted them a restraining order to stop the transfer from happening today. However, the process was already underway and the court dissolved the restraining order.
SEE ALSO: Ringling circus elephants to retire in May
The joint-statement from the zoos said, "We are relieved that the Court denied the request for a temporary restraining order." They went on to say, "The attempt by activists to further delay the relocation only jeopardized the animals. The elephants would have been killed if not relocated. In the interim, resources to feed and care for the elephants were being stretched thin. Scarcity of food and water and the risk of malnutrition are creating the most significant health threat to people and animals throughout the region."
MORE ANIMAL NEWS: Couple invents vest to protect dogs from coyote attacks
The zoos would not give a timeline for the elephants arrival, but it appears it could be in the coming days.
