The Pretoria High Court on Wednesday postponed indefinitely the review application made by Riccardo Ghiazza, owner of the controversial Tuli elephants which formed the subject of a protracted legal battle over the past year.

Ghiazza, this week sought a high court order to set aside a decision by a Brits magistrate, who last year awarded full custody of Ghiazza's elephants to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Judge William de Villiers requested that legal representatives for Ghiazza and the NSPCA prepare further heads of argument so that he could make an informed decision in the case.

Last year, Brits Magistrate Herman Glas granted two orders, awarding custody of the elephants to the NSPCA after an international outcry about the cruel training methods they were subjected to.

The animals were part of a contingent of 30 elephants bought by  Ghiazza, the owner of African Game Services, from the Botswana Tuli Reserve.

Most elephants have since been sold to international and national zoos, game reserves and safari parks.

The NSPCA was at first given permission to remove the elephants from the farm, but was later interdicted from doing so, pending the outcome of the review application.

There are presently five elephants remaining on Ghiazza's farm and they have been sold to Craig Saunders.

Saunders, however, was prevented from removing the elephants by the custody order granted to the NSPCA. 

Saunders indicated that he would approach the court at a later stage for permission to remove the elephants -- a move opposed by the NSPCA. - Sapa