A 41-year-old elephant will soon be making South Georgia her new home, becoming the third resident elephant at a South Georgia refuge.
Elephant Aid International (EAI) announced Tuesday that Mundi, a 41-year-old female African elephant, is set to be rescued by Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA), making Attapulgus, Georgia her home at the organization's elephant refuge.
According to EAI, Mundi was initially under contract to arrive to ERNA in 2018.
The African elephant, who is 8-foot-tall and weighs 8,000 pounds, is now expected to arrive May 4, flying from Puerto Rico to Jacksonville, Florida. She will then be moved by truck to ERNA in Attapulgus.
Mundi was born in 1982 in Zimbabwe and was one of 63 young African elephants slated for government slaughter. The elephants were then airlifted to the U.S. from Zimbabwe in 1984.
She was later sold to the Mayaguez zoo in Puerto Rico where she lived alone in an exhibit yard with access to an enclosed shelter where she was chained nightly, according to EAI.
In February, the U.S. Department of Justice ordered the zoo to close permanently and relocate all animals to sanctuaries. The zoo closed after experiencing extensive hurricane damage and losing its USDA license, EAI said.
For more information about Mundi, visit elephantaidinternational.org.
