An elephant recently surprised those on a Montana road after running away from a nearby circus. It has now come to light that it is the third time this female pachyderm has fled its circumstances.
Viola escaped from the Jordan World Circus on April 16 and proceeded to walk across several lanes of traffic on a busy street in Butte, causing cars to stop in their tracks.
Video footage of the incident was captured and posted to social media by witness Brittany McGinnis. In the video, the elephant can be seen walking across a road with a man attempting to keep up with it as it left the busy roadway and ambled into a parking lot of a casino.
"Elephant walking down the road," McGinnis says, laughing, in her video. "Only in Butte."
The use of elephants in circus performances has long been controversial and in some areas is prohibited. California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, and New York have all banned the use of exotic circus animals. In other states, however, the practice remains legal.
J.P. Gallagher, the county's chief executive, told CBS News that Viola caused some damage to a storage area at the Civic Center but that "no one was injured," adding, "Although there was minor damage to the facility, we are grateful that everyone remained unharmed."
The elephant was recaptured shortly after its escape. Newsweek has contacted the Jordan World Circus for a comment.
This is not the first time Viola, on loan from Oklahoma-based Carson & Barnes Circus, which owns 20 elephants in total, has been in the news, a statement from the Humane Society of the United States said.
"This is the third time she has escaped the cruel and abusive captivity of the circus, endangering herself and members of the public. Her escapes have taken place in multiple states," Laura Hagen, director of captive wildlife at the Humane Society of the United States said.
In 2014, Viola was one of three elephants that escaped while performing in a circus in St. Charles, Missouri, Hagen said. At the time, the three elephants ran through a parking lot, and Viola the elephant sustained nasty lacerations on her body.
Another incident involving Viola occurred in 2010 when she escaped from a traveling circus in Lynchburg, Virginia. She ran directly into a line of people waiting for tickets. She then slid in some mud and fell down a hill, causing injuries.
"Viola, along with Carson & Barnes' other elephants—and all elephants used in the entertainment industry—should be immediately retired to an accredited sanctuary and the US Department of Agriculture must act swiftly to enforce federal law," Laura Hagen, director of captive wildlife at the Humane Society of the United States said.
"The cruelty and danger inherent in forcing elephants and other wild animals to spend their lives in circuses, subjected to violent training and prolonged confinement, must end. The very real danger this poses to the public and first responders underscores the urgent need for state legislators to ban the use of wild animals in traveling shows once and for all."
Many circus animals suffer incredibly poor conditions, animal welfare groups have said. PETA states that physical punishment "has always been the standard training method" for these animals in order to make them perform.
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Update 4/18/24 12:40 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with additional information.
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