South Georgia refuge welcomes third elephant after 5-year wait. 'Really doing excellent.'

Mundi, an African savanna elephant, made the trek from Puerto Rico to Jacksonville, Florida via a 747 airplane last week, proving elephants can fly — with some assistance.

She along with two hippopotamuses and a rhino were flown to the states in their own custom crates where forever homes awaited them.

Now she is exploring her new environment in Attapulgus, Georgia at Elephant Refuge North America (ERNA) where she has two elephant companions.

In the week that Mundi has been at ERNA Carol Buckley, founder of Elephant Aid International (EAI), has watched her relax as she gets settled into her new home.

Background:41-year-old elephant headed to South Georgia sanctuary after 5-year rescue effort

"She's really doing excellent," said Buckley.

She and her team at ERNA feed Mundi 150 pounds of hay and 25 pounds of produce a day as well as provide her with other nutrients and vitamins needed for a healthy diet.

The history of how Mundi got to South Georgia

The 8-feet tall, 8,000-pound calm and curious elephant has spent the last 35 years at a zoo in Puerto Rico with just 15,000 square feet to wander each day.

Born in 1982 in Zimbabwe, Mundi was left orphaned by a government-organized mass culling, according to an ERNA handout.

Two years later, she was one of 63 young elephants brought to the United States as part of a rescue mission led by millionaire Arthur Jones, the inventor of Nautilus exercise equipment.

The elephants lived at Jumbo Lair estate in Ocala for two years before Jones separated the young herd — selling them to zoos, circuses and private individuals.

The zoo where Mundi lived was closed to the public for several years after losing its USDA license for failing to employ a veterinarian and a lack of proper care for the animals, according to the ERNA. Mundi was originally supposed to be relinquished by the zoo into Buckley's care five years ago, but the Puerto Rican government canceled all contracts, leaving Mundi at the zoo.

This past February, the U.S. Department of Justice ordered the zoo to close and relocate the animals to reputable sanctuaries.

Pat Craig, Founder and Executive Director of The Wild Animal Sanctuary, funded the transportation of Mundi and the other animals being brought to America.

"I was shocked," Buckley said when she received the call from Craig about the potential of rehoming Mundi to ERNA.

She proceeded to consider what other sanctuaries might be a good fit for Mundi but when it came down to it, Buckley knew the answer.

"We really would be the best place for her," she said.

EAI raised the funds to provide food, supplements, vet services and more for Mundi at ERNA.

Mundi is currently 41 years old and is expected to live well into her 60's. She is blind in her right eye due to an altercation with another elephant at the zoo and has a damaged right tusk.