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TheresNoAmosOnlyZuul t1_jdst6i3 wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in Can elephants canter or gallop? by [deleted]

Honestly it looked like that elephant might have some hip problems. It did t wanna move it's back legs separately. The definition of a gallop is that all four feet are off the ground at the same time which is a physical impossibility for an elephant. I'd say it's entirely possible that an elephant can do a trot. I'm unsure about a cantor.

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KimberelyG t1_jdthm3d wrote

In OP's video example, that elephant's front legs are hobbled - that's when you rope or chain together (as in this case) a pair of legs to restrict an animal's natural range of motion, movement ability, and speed.

You can hear the chains rattle as the elephant moves, as well as see the hobbles, especially when the animal is close to the camera, like around 25 seconds into the video. The hobbles are causing this elephant to have an unusual gait.

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TheresNoAmosOnlyZuul t1_jdubn83 wrote

Ah. I didn't have sound on. That makes perfect sense. Personally I wish we could have more respect for elephants freedom. They're too intelligent for us to just have as pets.

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