The sound of a vehicle backfiring spooked a circus elephant while she was getting a pre-show bath in Butte, Montana, leading the pachyderm to break through a fence and take a brief walk, stopping noontime traffic on the city’s busiest street before being loaded back into a trailer.
Viola, an Asian elephant with the Jordan World Circus, still participated in two performances Tuesday after her time on the lam in the southwestern Montana city of about 35,000 people that in the late 1800s was the world’s largest copper-producing area.
Viola was getting a bath behind the Butte Civic Center just after noon on Tuesday when she was startled, Civic Center manager Bill Melvin said.
She went through a “kind of rickety” fence and went onto Harrison Avenue, a four-lane street, stopping traffic and causing folks to pull out their cellphones to take photos and video. Viola walked about half a block in the road before turning into the parking lot of a convenience store and casino, Melvin said.
The fightback begins: Boss of London's Queen Mary University tells pro
Salma Hayek dresses up as Frida Kahlo to join Madonna on stage at her Mexico concert
Thunder's Mark Daigneault is NBA Coach of the Year
With Djokovic awaiting the winner, Murray trails Hanfmann at rain
Royal Challengers Bengaluru stay alive with win over Gujarat Titans in IPL
Stephen Ames celebrates 60th birthday with successful title defense in Mitsubishi Electric Classic
Stott and Realmuto homer, Walker makes a slick play as the Phillies win 8
Verona confirms Serie A status for another year after beating Salernitana
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla says playoff basketball doesn't change much from regular season
NBA playoffs: Edwards leads Wolves to 98
Britain's Got Talent air guitarist Sven Smith stuns judges as he narrowly avoids X