At the circus when an elephant is asked to stand on two legs why does she always stand on her front legs?

Answer 1

They don't

Why is it harmful for elephants to stand on their hind legs?
In nature, only copulating bulls, or bulls trying to pick fruit from a tall tree with their trunks, stand on their hind legs.

Female elephants do not normally have the natural ability to perform this feat. Young elephant cows will sometimes put their feet up on a stone or a wall.

Grown-up elephant cows do not seem to be comfortable in this position.

Why do circus elephants sometimes stand on their hind legs?
In most circuses elephant cows also have to perform this trick, even though it is unnatural with their physique.
Perhaps this 'sitting up and begging' position has become so common in circuses so that elephants look even bigger and more impressive than they already do anyway.

But there are also plenty of elephant handlers and trainers who use this trick to demonstrate their power over the elephants in their charge in front of spectators.

These demonstrations of power are generally well-received both by circus and zoo audiences, as they simply cannot know to how much use the elephant hook has been put in teaching an elephant these tricks.
These training exercises may be spectacular, but they do not create mutual respect and trust between the elephant and its handlers, which so is so important when working with elephants on a daily basis and in the prevention of accidents.

Answer 2

It just happened to be what was put into the routine you saw.
Elephants have been photographed in the wild standing on their hind legs to reach high branches. Only once, that I know of, has a young elephant been photographed on just its front legs while it was playing in the mud.
You might also see a performing elephant stand of it’s front feet with their head on the ground.
Also any healthy elephant can stand on just their two right feet or two left feet. This takes no training at all.
But the hind leg stand or the front leg stand for a performance is built up to gradually. The trainer will be using many rewards and plenty of praise.
Would your dog start doing tricks if you hurt it? Of course not. The same is true for any animal, whether bird, horse or elephant.
Unfortunately there are criminals in every occupation from doctors to priests. And there have been animal abusers. But that does not mean that most people that train animals are cruel.

Answer 3

It would be odd for an elephant to stand on their front legs as they're often taught to stand up on their rear legs. The elephant could have some physical disability making standing on the rear legs difficult or they could have been trained to do it this way.
Despite what many people naturally think, most animals including elephants distribute approximately 2/3 of their weight on their front legs so the front end of the animal is designed to hold more weight than the rear.

Answer 4

You apparently go to the wrong circuses. Elephants are adapt at standing on their rear legs, which as with most animals, can carry more weight than the front legs (when asked nicely).

Answer 5

It is so much easier to balance because of the weight of their head, just have to lean forward a little. To balance on hind legs takes a whole lot more effort & is unstable. That's why they'll go on hind legs if there's something to rest their front legs on (like a box or a female).
I don't think animals are treated cruelly in circuses. They're well fed & cared for (they are stars) & enjoy the applause & attention.

Answer 6

Because the trainers whip them until they stand on their front legs. Go to people-only circuses like Cirque de Soleil not the cruel ones.

Answer 7

I imagine it is because it easier for the elephant to balance and safer for the trainer in the case the elephant because unstable or aggressive

Answer 8

MAYBE ITS A GIRL THING !!!!!