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WATCH: Locals wrangle with 2 ESCAPED ELEPHANTS in Russia’s Ekaterinburg Not your typical street scene in Russia: Two ELEPHANTS roll in snow & push keepers around in frosty Ekaterinburg (VIDEOS)
(about 2 hours later)
Workers and residents alike were stunned to look out their windows and see not one but two Indian elephants on the streets of the Russian city of Ekaterinburg on Thursday. People were stunned to look out their windows and see not one but two Indian elephants on the snowy streets of the city of Ekaterinburg. The frolicsome duo were visiting Italian circus stars that went outside to experience Russia.
The star performers of a visiting Italian circus, 45-year-old Carla and 50-year-old Roni, couldn’t resist stomping through snow in the city before their days-long drive to Saint Petersburg, having broken away from their trainers during a well-earned break.  The two heavy stompers responsible for the highly unexpected spectacle in the Russian city on Thursday were 45-year-old Carla and 50-year-old Rani, who had earlier performed in the city circus. Management insists their playful stroll was not some 'Madagascar'-style escape attempt but rather animals stretching their feet and trunks before a days-long drive to St. Petersburg.
As eyewitness video shows, locals and staff joined forces using ropes to wrangle the pachyderms back into their pens but not until after they went for a quick stroll around the Eurasian city. As eyewitness videos and pictures show, locals and staff joined forces and used ropes to wrangle the pachyderms back into their pens. Traffic police did their part too, closing the streets to cars until the animals were secured.
“The elephants have their own character and emotions, they are very smart,” the circus said in an online statement.  The gentle giants got a chance to bathe in snow and have some fun, though whether the street was an appropriate playground for them is open to question. The elephants left some minor damage behind, bending some railing. The circus downplayed the incident.
“They walked outside and got very happy from seeing the snow, the trees and the pedestrians whom they took for spectators. Roni stayed by one of the trees while Carla walked towards a pile of snow.” "The elephants have their own character and emotions, they are very smart," it said in an online statement.
The pair of pachyderms belong to the Togni family, the self-proclaimed oldest circus dynasty in Italy, who have brought Carla and Roni on a 16,000km (9,950 mile) journey earlier this year to perform on tour, after circus animals were banned in Italy. "They walked outside and got very happy from seeing the snow, the trees and the pedestrians whom they took for spectators. Rani stayed by one of the trees while Carla walked towards a pile of snow."
“We love our animals a lot, they are our family,” said circus art director and host Sergey Bondarchuk. “They too love the circus, they get bored without work. Our animals will live and die with us, they won't survive in the wild.” The elephants belong to the Togni family, the self-proclaimed oldest circus dynasty in Italy, who brought Carla and Rani on a 16,000km (9,950-mile) journey earlier this year to perform on tour, after circus animals were banned in Italy.
The elephants were eventually coaxed into returning to the circus without any injury or damage to property. "We love our animals a lot, they are our family," said circus art director and host Sergey Bondarchuk. "They too love the circus, they get bored without work. Our animals will live and die with us, they won't survive in the wild."
While certainly not as common as dogs or cats, elephants make surprisingly regular appearances on Russian streets. Just over a year ago, another pair of the animals made their way into a city park in Kemerovo.
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