There was some BIG news this week -- literally -- as a circus elephant escaped from her pen and roamed the streets of a Montana city.
The escape has garnered mixed reactions. While some said it was "pretty exciting," others condemned the use of animals in circus acts.
The Jordan World Circus, a traveling circus based in Nevada, performed in Butte Tuesday night. Ahead of the show, Viola, an Asian elephant, ran from her outdoor enclosure after a truck backfired, frightening the animal.
She stopped traffic, with onlookers capturing videos and photos of the massive animal strolling along the street.
Within about 20 minutes, Viola's handlers safely corralled the elephant and no one was harmed.
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,” Josh Hannifan, a witness, told KECI.
As headlines swept the nation, animal rights activists began expressing concerns. Several said the animals should be surrendered and cared for at sanctuaries.
Elephants don't belong in the circus," one person wrote on X, which is the social media outlet formerly known as Twitter. "Glad (she) got a few minutes of freedom. Prayers up for a home in a sanctuary one day."
Some shared similar sentiments.
"This sweet elephant needs to be in a sanctuary with elephant family," another person noted.
One X user was relieved no one was hurt. The user referenced a case in Hawaii from 1994, in which Tyke, a female African bush elephant, killed her trainer and seriously hurt her groomer. The elephant was shot and killed by authorities.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, which is more commonly known as PETA, said it has submitted "an urgent complaint" to federal authorities for the circus' "failure to protect" the elephant, as well as the public.
"Animals are not ours to use for entertainment," PETA wrote on X, with the post including a video of Violet. "We must help take action for them."
One social media user criticized PETA for its reaction to Tuesday’s escape.
"Calm down, peta," one person wrote in reply to PETA's post.
Mataya Smith, who was driving when she saw the elephant in the street, said handlers did "an excellent job" preventing danger and wrangling the animal.
They did everything that they could to just kind of guide her," Smith told KECI. "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."
Smith added that seeing Viola being reunited with her mate after her excursion "was very adorable."
PETA claims Viola was supplied by Carson & Barnes Circus. PETA alleges Carson & Barnes "has been cited for more than 100 violations" under the federal Animal Welfare Act, or AWA.
On one occasion, PETA said, "three elephants became frightened by audience noise, escaped from a circus performance, and ran amok for nearly an hour, causing damage to the venue and to guests’ cars in the parking lot," PETA noted on its website.
Documents from the U.S. Department of Agriculture noted Carson & Barnes was ordered to pay a $16,000 civil penalty to settle a lawsuit for violating the AWA in 2015.
PETA also alleged Carson & Barnes abused at least one elephant, has failed to provide proper veterinary care, shelter from weather, safe transport trailers, and more.
The Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) also spoke out after the elephant's escape.
"Elephants in circuses are violently trained, forced to perform tricks that are harmful to their health, and chained for hours on end," PAWS noted on X. "Escapes like this threaten the public and the elephant. Yet another reason that elephants should not be in circuses -- or in captivity!"
For years, PETA, PAWS, and other organizations, have called on circuses across the nation to stop using elephants and other animals in shows.
On Wednesday, just one day after Violet's escape, multiple media outlets reported Hadi Shrine Circus will no longer include elephants in performances.
As we kick off the countdown to the 100th year celebration, our committee has made the decision to begin the next decade and beyond without the inclusion of the Hadi Shrine Circus elephants," according to WFIE, citing a statement from the Circus. "We are passionate about animals and featuring them in the circus to the wondrous awe of our audience. With great respect to our illustrious pachyderms, we believe the time is right to retire the elephants from the Hadi Shrine Circus."
In 2022, Circus World and the Wisconsin Historical Society also announced the retirement of elephants after the 2023 season.
In 2016, Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus stopped using elephants in shows after several PETA protests. The circus went on to shut down the following year before making a comeback in 2022 -- but no longer uses elephants during performances.
Many of the elephants now live at sanctuaries.
The Carson & Barnes Circus website notes the circus has toured North America for four generations. The Circus is based in Oklahoma.
"The Carson & Barnes Circus brings first class family entertainment to all parts of America — small towns to big cities, urban America and Native America, border to border and coast to coast," according to the website. "Each year we search for the best acts from around the globe and we present them along with our world famous animal acts, to produce the World’s Biggest Big Top show."
The National Desk reached out to Carson and Barnes Circus, as well as Jordan World Circus, and is awaiting responses from both organizations.
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EDITOR'S NOTE: KECI contributed to this report.
