The roar of a vehicle's exhaust frightened a circus elephant while she was receiving a bath before her show in Butte, Montana, causing her to the animal will tear down a fence and take a short walkstopping midday traffic on the city's busiest street before being captured.
Viola, an Asian elephant from the Jordan World Circus, was part of the two performances on Tuesday after wandering around the city of 35 thousand inhabitants in southwestern Montana.
Viola was getting a bath in the back of the Butte Civic Center shortly before noon Tuesday when the loud sound scared her away, Civic Center Manager Bill Melvin said.
It broke through a “somewhat rickety” fence and moved onto Harrison Avenue, a four-lane street, where it stopped traffic and drivers pulled out their phones to take photos and videos.
Olivia LaBeau, 21, was driving home after going out to buy a coffee when she saw the pachyderm walking towards her in the wrong direction. A car began to back up, and LeBeau stopped her vehicle while Viola casually wandered across the street.
“I had to think twice,” he declared. “I thought she had visions.”
He took a video of the elephant.
“I had to take out my phone, because I think if I had told anyone, they wouldn't have believed me,” she said. “It's a totally absurd thing to see in Montana.”
Circus staff brought a trailer with another elephant to the scene, Melvin said. “They went down the ramp and she got in and that was it.”
“The other elephant was very happy to see her,” he added.
It was only about 10 minutes from the time he escaped until he returned to the trailer, he explained.
“He came back and was at the show last night and all went wellMelvin said. “As they say, the show must go on.”
