Posted on 04/17/2024 7:28:04 AM PDT by Twotone
BUTTE, Mont. — Montana is known for plenty of large wildlife, like bears, mountain goats and elk. But elephants are a new one.
Butte resident Mataya Smith was driving south on Harrison Avenue with her husband, who alerted her to the strange scene at noon on Tuesday.
“I though he just meant it was in the parking lot. And then I looked up and was like, ‘No, there is an elephant in the road!’” said Smith.
“My coworker pointed out, ‘There’s an elephant!’ Started jumping up and down, pointing out the window,” Civic Center Town Pump co-manager Josh Hannifin said.
“We ran out the door and finally caught a video of the elephant coming through the lot here. Pretty exciting. It’s not everyday you see an elephant walking down Harrison Avenue in Butte, Montana,” added Hannifan, who was about to wrap hot dog buns before noticing the elephant.
As it turns out, the Jordan World Circus is in town. Gas station surveillance video shows what happened when Viola the Asian elephant escaped from her pen outside the Civic Center after being scared when a truck backfired near where she was getting a bath.
“Went for a nice slow walk down Harrison. But man, they move fast when they just walk,” said Hannifin.
“Kind of making her way over to the casino trying to play some slots. Having a fun time, making the best of her Butte experience,” said Smith.
Thankfully, no one was injured, and the handlers were able to corral Viola without the need for law enforcement intervention after no more than 20 minutes.
Smith says the community handled it perfectly.
“We have plenty of experience with bison, not to get too close and not to interact too much and to stay within a safe distance. So I think it was probably safer for her to get loose here because we all kept our distance. Everybody slowed down, backed up when she was coming towards them,” said Smith, who says the handlers did an excellent job preventing danger.
“They did everything that they could to just kind of guide her. They didn’t push her, they didn’t force her, they just nicely asked her to move with them and said ‘Hey, please don’t break this fence.’ They waited very patiently with her and just kind of petted her and gave her comfort and calmed her until the truck came by,” said Smith.
And for those who caught a glimpse, they say the entire experience was remarkable and a moment they’ll never forget, especially when Viola was reunited with her mate.
“He kind of was using his trunk to say, ‘Come on come on, you’re being crazy, you’re scaring the townsfolk.’ She got in there and they started trumpeting at each other. It was very adorable,” said Smith.
With Viola back safe and sound with her handlers, the show went on Tuesday night, but for a lucky few, they got a memory of a lifetime.
There are many Beavers in Bangkock.
How ‘fitting’!
I rode one in Phuket.....very exciting.
It’s coming right at us!
And African elephants have bigger Penises
Been there and done that.
“Can you imagine waking up from all the noise after passing out on a bench after a night out, and seeing that walking down the road?
Instant vow to quit drinking lol”
This is Butte, MT. The locals would just have some more Irish whiskey...
Currently, according to the 2020 census, Butte has a population of 34,494 — that’s 1/3 the population Butte had in the late 1800’s.
All that’s left is tough Irish folks...
Remember: You can’t drink all day if you don’t start in the morning...
and female elephants have only 2 mammaries between the two front legs
and AA is for quitters lol
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.