Elephant lets loose and runs through Butte, Montana: Watch video

According to NBC Montana, Viola, the 58-year-old Asian elephant, was in the parking lot of the community center in Butte, Montana, being washed before a performance with the Jordan World Circus on Tuesday when a car backfired, startling her.

She escaped and stopped traffic as she briefly walked the streets of Butte, attracting the attention of residents going about their business.

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The elephant Viola was reportedly unharmed

Butte is a town in southwest Montana, about 85 miles from Bozeman and 170 miles north of Yellowstone National Park.