Elephant Roams Montana Streets After Escaping Circus

Residents of Butte, Montana were in for a surprise Tuesday ... when a circus elephant escaped from its home and began freely roaming in the streets, captured in wild video.

According to multiple reports, the elephant broke free from Jordan World Circus -- which made a stop in the city as part of its tour. While it's unclear how the elephant broke free from its enclosure ... it didn't hesitate to stretch its legs once it was out and about.

Check it out ... the massive elephant is seen trotting down the road in this insane clip, delaying traffic and causing heads to turn.

Eyewitnesses get quite the chuckle as the rogue elephant makes its way across the road and into the shared parking lot belonging to a gas station and a local casino. A man was noticeably chasing after the elephant before the footage comes to an end.

The elephant's break for freedom didn't last long ... as the mammal was eventually reunited with its handlers. The man who was filmed following the elephant was later seen guiding the animal into its pen, so it appears to have been a circus employee of some sort.

Still, the elephant made the most of its time outside its corral ... as the animal reportedly dropped a deuce on a lawn in town. Hey, when you gotta go you gotta go, right?