OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha has joined efforts with two other U.S. zoos to save 18 elephants living in a southern Africa park from being slaughtered.

The elephants live in a Swaziland park with 15 other elephants, some endangered black rhinos and other animals. The country is enduring its worst-ever drought, and officials there had to make a decision to either cull the elephants or put a black rhino population already on the brink of extinction at further risk.

The Omaha zoo, which had been searching for elephants for the zoo’s new African Grasslands exhibit, last year partnered with the Dallas Zoo and the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, on the problem. Each zoo is taking six of the park’s elephants.