Bizarre scenes as elephant runs loose on US street

The elephant, named Viola, was performing with a circus in Butte, Montana, when she was “spooked” by the sound of a vehicle.

Vision shows Viola wandering onto a busy road, drawing traffic to a standstill.

Civic Center Town Pump Josh Hannifin witnessed the bizarre incident unfold.

“Went for a nice slow walk down to Harrison. But man, they move fast when they just walk,” told CNN.

Animal rights group PETA released a statement following Viola’s recapture.

“This could have been avoided if elephants weren’t abused and forced to perform at circuses that endanger them and the public,” the group wrote on its official Facebook page.