TORONTO, Ont. – The City of Toronto has voted 31-4 in favour of sending the Toronto Zoo’s three elephants to an animal sanctuary in California.

Council voted in favour of the move Tuesday night, effectively taking control of their fate away from the zoo board.

The sanctuary first offered the elephants a permanent home at the PAWS facility last May, it boasts an 80-acre enclosure and will have no cost to the city.

A poll recently found that 74 per cent of Torontonians support sending the elephants to a sanctuary in a warm climate where they’ll have room to roam around.

A city report called the move urgent, saying delays could cost the city up to $1 million over two years.

Also, two of the three senior elephants could pass away over the winter.

PAWS and the charity, Zoocheck, have agreed to pay for most of the $300,000 moving cost.

Following the decision, Toronto Zoo staff will work with the PAWS sanctuary to transfer Iringa, Toka and Thika to the facility as soon as arrangements can be made.

The zoo board voted to close the Toronto Zoo’s elephant exhibit back in May.