“Old” circus elephant Viola escapes on the streets of Montana

Tuesday saw a show when a circus elephant called Viola broke free from her group and was seen wandering the streets of Butte, Montana, according to NBC Montana.

Surveillance footage from a Town Pump gas station shows the enormous elephant that is now in town with the traveling circus known as “The Jordan World Circus” wandering about the streets after escaping from their performance.

Astonished at the sight of the animal and worried for both their own safety and the mammal’s, the encounter plunged spectators into a rush of conflicting emotions.

But someone who had been trailing the elephant handled Viola quickly and cautiously and made it back to the circus without incident.

Butte Sheriff Ed Lester claims that Viola’s escape from her kennel outside the Civic Center was caused by a panicked moment brought on by the unexpected sound of a passing truck.

The Asian elephant traversed the road for a few blocks before being securely placed onto a trailer by circus personnel.

Luckily, after little more than twenty minutes, the handlers were able to recapture Viola without the assistance of law enforcement, leaving no injuries to either the elephant or the onlookers.

“Glad it ended well and as far as I know the show went on as scheduled!” stated Lester.

The video was sent to NBC Montana by an onlooker, and it has amassed thousands of views on YouTube and other media.

Spokesman Nicole Perreira with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) characterized Viola as a “elderly elephant” who had escaped “at least two other times — in 2010 and 2014.”