‘Smokey and the Bandit’ fans visit Topeka Zoo to meet Cora the elephant

TOPEKA, Kan. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Car enthusiasts and fans of "Smokey and the Bandit" made a special trip to the Topeka Zoo to visit Cora the elephant Monday.

Over 200 people, in a group called "The Bandit Run," drove in on their "Trans Ams" from Lincoln, Nebraska, for the event, all to see "Cora," a 66-year-old elephant at the zoo.

When Cora was much younger, she starred alongside legendary actors Burt Reynolds and Sally Field. Cora played "Charlotte" in "Smokey and the Bandit II" in 1980.

"We decided to make one of our stops this year Topeka, Kansas, so we could stop and see Charlotte the elephant, see how she's doing. We were surprised to hear she had retired here in Topeka, and so we're here to pay tribute and hopefully say hello to an old friend," said David Hershey, co-founder of the Bandit Run.

After Topeka, the group is going to drive to Kansas City and then finish up the Bandit Run in Branson, Missouri.