The elephants arrived safely from the Cocos Islands in the Indian Ocean, the Austalian terroritory where they were held in quaratine since August, a spokeswoman for Sydney's Taronga Zoo, their new home, told AFP.

 "The vet has checked them and they are okay," she said, following the elephants' delivery to Australia by a Russian Ilyushin freight plane.

 The Sydney zoo would soon arrange delivery of another elephant, a male, along with three more to be sent to Melbourne Zoo, the spokeswoman said.

 Months of opposition, including protests and legal battles, have dogged the elephants' relocation to Australia as part of the first ever regional breeding program in Australasia.

 After lengthy court action, activists won a victory in February against the Australian government, forcing them to agree to several conditions guaranteeing the welfare of the elephants.

 Then in June, protesters in Bangkok blocked the elephants from reaching the airport, claiming they would suffer in the Australian zoos. This forced the elephants back to quarantine in Thailand, delaying their departure until August.

 Opposition then moved to the Supreme Court of New South Wales last month, with Animal Liberation New South Wales seeking to prevent the Sydney zoo keeping the elephants under local prevention of cruelty to animals laws.

 Thai and Australian authorities insist the animals were born in captivity and collected from various owners around Thailand, rather than having been captured in the wild.

Agence France Presse