WATCH: Elephant escapes circus, roams around Montana streets

A circus elephant caused quite a commotion in Montana on Tuesday. The quiet streets of Butte, Montana were disrupted by an unexpected visitor on Tuesday afternoon.

A 58-year-old circus elephant named Viola managed to escape from her handlers and took a brief, unscheduled tour of the city, much to the surprise of the 35,000 residents. The unexpected jaunt brought traffic to a halt in the city.

However, a video shared by NBC Montana showed the large elephant crossing a highway, with a handler in hot pursuit. The sight of the elephant moving at a brisk pace through city streets, including the parking lots of a gas station and a casino, was captured on camera.

“A f----- elephant is going down the road, my God,” a woman can be heard saying through laughter in the viral clip.

According to DJ Bauer, a local TV news journalist, Viola is originally from Asia and was startled by a truck, which led to her escape. The Jordan World Circus, where Viola performs, had two shows scheduled in Butte that day. However, it seems Viola's impromptu performance might have stolen the show.

Fortunately, by 1:44pm local time, the elephant was back in the care of her handlers, unharmed, and without causing any property damage, according to NBC Montana.