A Circus Escape
A circus elephant named Viola gave the performance of her life on Tuesday – a grand disappearing act.
The mammoth animal was scheduled to appear on stage at Jordan World Circus in Butte, Montana, but before her act, Viola escaped and wandered through the city, a city official confirmed.
The circus had two shows scheduled, one at 4:00 p.m. and one at 7:00 p.m. local time.
"One of the circus elephants managed to escape from its trainer and wandered onto Harrison Ave, a bustling street in town," J.P. Gallagher, the county's chief executive, said.
Video shared on social media showed the elephant walking down the middle of the road through traffic in the southwest Montana city. She walked in front of the town's casino and into a storage facility as people ran alongside her.
Viola caused some damage to a storage area at the Civic Center but "no one was injured," Gallagher said, adding, "Although there was minor damage to the facility, we are grateful that everyone remained unharmed."
Viola's trainers were eventually able to subdue and restrain her.
Two animal advocacy groups, PETA and PAWS, have reported that Viola, an elephant, managed to escape from the circus on multiple occasions. PETA claimed that Carson & Barnes, the circus responsible for providing elephants to the Jordan World Circus, has a track record of subjecting elephants to strenuous exercises and has received over 100 violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act.
CBS News has reached out to both circuses for their comments on the matter.
