Elephant Stops Traffic in Butte After Escaping Circus

An escaped circus elephant brought traffic to a halt in Butte, Montana, as it barged through city streets on Tuesday, April 16.

Brittany McGinnis filmed this video of the elephant walking briskly across multiple lanes of a roadway, forcing cars to come to a standstill.

McGinnis couldn’t believe her eyes and told Storyful she saw the elephant after spotting a Jeep in front of her backing up.

“Elephant walking down the road … only in Butte,” she says in the video before bursting out laughing.

According to local media, the elephant escaped from the Jordan World Circus but was returned safely by its handlers.

Storyful reached out to Butte police for comment on the incident, but did not hear back by the time of publication. Credit: Brittany McGinnis via Storyful

Video transcript

- Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh.

BRITTANY MCGINNIS: [MUTED] elephant walking down the road. [LAUGHS] Oh, my god.

- Oh, my god.

BRITTANY MCGINNIS: [LAUGHS] Only in Butte.

- A circus elephant got loose.

BRITTANY MCGINNIS: Oh, [MUTED]! [LAUGHS] Where are you going? Where are you going, friend?

[LAUGHTER]

And he's gone.

- Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh.

BRITTANY MCGINNIS: [MUTED] elephant walking down the road. [LAUGHS] Oh, my god.

- Oh, my god.

BRITTANY MCGINNIS: [LAUGHS] Only in Butte.

- A circus elephant got loose.

BRITTANY MCGINNIS: Oh, [MUTED]! [LAUGHS] Where are you going? Where are you going, friend?

[LAUGHTER]

And he's gone.