Escaped elephant 'has fun' on the loose in suburbia
An elephant that escaped from a circus in the US was just "having fun" on her few hours of freedom.
The elephant got loose from Circus World in a residential neighbourhood in Wisconsin and ended up in a family's backyard.
Circus World spokesman Dave Saloutos said the elephant, named Kelly, was freed by her pachyderm partner, Isla, who used her trunk to disengage a restraint.
Kelly lumbered across a shallow river and managed to make it into a neighboring backyard where she unlatched a gate and munched on some marigolds.
According to the Sauk County Dispatch centre, Kelly made her way around the neighborhood for a few minutes before law enforcement got in touch with the pachyderm's trainer.
The trainer quickly caught up with the elephant and escorted her back to Circus World.
Kelly had helped herself to some vegetation snacks, played with pool water, dug a hole and left behind several visible footprints in the grass.
Resident Fawn Baxter said her and her daughter got their own elephant show.
"(She) was very calm and just seemed to be having a little party of (her) own while tucked away in my backyard," Baxter said.
"We sat on the back deck the whole time and watched (her). (She) was very peaceful," she said.
"(She) seemed to be having so much fun," Baxter said.
