Nine elephants rescued from a Zimbabwe safari lodge where they were maltreated are set to be returned to the wild, after receiving treatment for their injuries, an animal welfare organisation announced Friday.

Ten elephants were rescued six months ago from a camp at the lodge, where they were being trained to carry tourists on their backs for safaris, the International Fund for Animal Welfare said.

One of the elephants has already died from malnutrition and abuse, but the others will be taken Monday to a rehabilitation centre in a national park to prepare them for life in the wild, the group said.

"These elephants have been subjected to the most appalling cruelty, all in the name of servicing an indefensible form of safari industry," the group's spokesman Neil Greenwood said.

The elephants would be darted and then taken in a convoy of trucks to Hwange National Park in western Zimbabwe, the group said.

The elephants were discovered by the Zimbabwe National Society for the Protection of Cruelty against Animals, which found "cruel and torturous" methods were used to tame and train the elephants, including restricting their access to food and water.

Photos of the elephants showed gaping wounds that the groups said were inflicted during their training.

The Zimbabwean group has cordoned off a section of the training camp and taken over the care of the elephants since they were discovered six months ago. The group turned to IFAW for help in transporting them to the national park.

"Since their rescue six months ago the elephants have fully recovered from the wounds and injuries," said IFAW head of programmes, Christina Pretorious.

The elephants will start their journey on Monday from the private ranch in southern Zimbabwe to Hwange, where they will first live under supervision to ensure they can survive in the wild.