- An elephant escaped from the Jordan World Circus in Butte, Montana, surprising locals and causing a stir Tuesday as it wandered across the road.
- The elephant’s journey took him to a gas station, a parking lot and even passed by a casino, leaving onlookers in awe.
- The elephant was captured after leaving an unexpected surprise on a resident’s lawn, marking a memorable day in Butte history.
They say elephants never forget, and neither will the residence in the small town of Butte, Montana, which had to deal with an elephant wandering the streets on Tuesday.
Despite being famous for its spectacular landscapes and wildlife, elephants are not native to the northwestern state.
The presence of the huge animal is, in fact, proof that the circus is in the city.
The large elephant, named Viola, managed to perform an escape act from the Jordan World Circus, which is touring Montana throughout the month of April.
The huge animal could be seen marching through a parking lot in the small town.
A 58-year-old elephant was seen stomping through the streets of Butte, Montana, on Tuesday.
Drivers on Butte’s main road couldn’t believe what they were witnessing when the elephant could be seen stomping across the road, closely followed by a panicked circus staff member carrying a large pole.
The elephant managed to avoid being hit by either car as it walked toward the courtyard of a nearby gas station before turning into a parking lot and past the casino’s front door.
Passersby were amazed at the strange and unusual sight.
The elephant then defecated on a resident’s lawn before it was finally captured by its keepers, reports NBC Montana.
There was no property damage and Viola was not injured.
In that video the huge mammal is seen moving quite quickly before disappearing from view behind a building.
Viola the elephant was quickly followed by one of her keepers as she passed by a local casino.
The scene left drivers stunned as they encountered the unusual spectacle during their journey.
A local television news journalist, DJ Bauer, posted on X that the elephant is 58 years old and from Asia.
She explained how she escaped from her pen after she was frightened by a truck that suddenly backfired while her keepers were washing her outside.
A Jordan World Circus website showed it is scheduled to perform a pair of shows in Butte on Tuesday afternoon and evening.
According to the Performing Animal Welfare Society, Tuesday’s incident marked the second time an elephant escaped from the stage of the Jordan World Circus.