Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey's new circus show Fully Charged doesn't just show up in a new city. The elephants take the train.
Tigers and horses too.
This is one circus tradition that has survived modern times.
A crowd waited around the train tracks by Holly Hall and Almeda Road for 25 to 30 minutes to see the circus animals head to Reliant Stadium earlier this week (the show runs through July 29).
It was definitely worth the wait. Children, parents and even the puppies that were around seemed to be excited and anxious.
Since you can't really put a leash on a tiger and take it for a walk, the rest of the animals stayed in their train cars and then were moved to the stadium later.
The crowd went crazy and children's eyes lit up when they got a glimpse of the first elephant being led off the train car.
These Asian elephants are some of the most intelligent animals on earth.
Once a couple of the elephants got off the train, they started acting playful before their group photo op. They all posed for the camera.
And then they were off! The elephants were the leaders of the trail to the stadium. They looked almost elegant with their "Greatest Show on Earth" headdresses.
Also in the mix were a couple of miniature horses. They looked even smaller than usual when around those elephants.
When these horses were led off the train, everyone noticed their distinctive black and white manes.
This was by far the cutest thing . . . Each one of the elephants followed the other by holding onto their tail. It was surprising to see only a small rope was keeping them in line with the trail.
From miniature to standard bred to Arabian, this circus has a full range of horses.
The horses followed behind the elephants as the procession went into the gates of the stadium.
It's not everyday you're stopped at a intersection by a herd of circus animals. People driving through the area were quite surprised.
Ringling Bros has been referred to as "The Greatest Show on Earth" since 1881. It certainly knows how to make a theatrical entrance.
