Bozie, Painting Elephant at Smithsonian National Zoo, Arrives In D.C. (PHOTOS)

WASHINGTON -- Washingtonians are used to presidential motorcades snarling afternoon traffic. But an elephant? Now that is something new!

That's exactly what happened yesterday afternoon on Connecticut Avenue as Bozie the painting elephant completed her 1,100-mile journey from the Baton Rouge Zoo to Washington's Smithsonian National Zoo.

The Washington Post has the story behind the top-secret pachyderm procession, which zoo officials managed to keep under wraps until the home stretch.

[A]s the small motorcade, which included a chase car, weaved through the afternoon traffic with lights flashing, a long, mysterious object curled out the back window of the truck.

It was the trunk of an elephant.

Cover blown.

Bozie will be kept in quarantine for around a month before joining the rest of the National Zoo's herd: females Ambika (65) and Shanthi (38), and male Kandula (11).

They say an elephant never forgets, so one of 37-year-old Bozie's new cohorts should be familiar: According to the zoo, Bozie and Shanthi were young calves together at Sri Lanka's Elephant Orphanage Department of Wildlife Conservation before being transported to the United States.

While living at the Baton Rouge Zoo, Bozie gained acclaim as a painter (alongside longtime partner Judy, who died in March). One Bozie and Judy original auctioned off to benefit the Elephant Managers Association was giving an assessed value of "priceless."

Click through the slideshow to see Bozie's arrival at Smithsonian's National Zoo: