The circus elephant pooped on someone’s property and strayed into traffic in Butte, Montana.
The last thing you expect to see on your morning journey to work is an elephant staggering across the road.
However, in Butte, Montana, that is exactly what happened on Tuesday (April 16).
Multiple media agencies captured images of the big creature meandering across traffic on a busy route. See the odd sight for yourself below:
The elephant, who is apparently 58 years old and named Viola, then strolled across the parking lots of a gas station and a casino.
Brittany McGinnis, a local who recorded the viral video, could be heard exclaiming, “A f****** elephant is walking down the road.” Only in Butte. “A circus elephant got loose.
Several passersby took photos of the elephant, which was claimed to have defecated on someone’s front lawn.
So, how did the elephant wind up having a small adventure?
The creature was in a parking lot of the city’s arena being bathed by her trainers before a performance that day when she made the epic escape, Civic Center Manager Bill Melvin told KXLY.
Speaking further about the issue, Mr Melvin told the Daily Montanan: “The circus, of course, is extremely professional, and they had a professional trainer, who was very calm, as was the animal, and they were able to get her right back.
“It was not nearly as dramatic as you would think.”
The elephant’s escape lasted barely ten minutes, according to ABC Fox Montana and KXLY, and it was safely returned to its handlers after the event.
Obviously, with a mammal that large walking the streets, a lot of damage could have been done.
Bu thankfully, there was no property damage nor was any individual injured as a result of the elephant escaping.
Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) condemned the incident with a statement.
“Elephants in circuses are violently trained, forced to perform tricks that are harmful to their health, and chained for hours on end,” they said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) also released a statement, claiming the incident was a ‘failure of the circus to protect Viola and the public’.
