---
title: "African elephant vs grizzly bear — size, speed and bite force"
description: "African elephant and grizzly bear compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle an encoun"
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/african-elephant-vs-grizzly-bear/
site: "At One Place"
---

# African elephant vs grizzly bear

**African elephant vs grizzly bear: African elephant leads on 4 of 5 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

The largest living land animal, distinguished from the Asian elephant by larger ears and a dipped back. The inland North American brown bear, smaller than coastal populations because it eats less salmon. On the measurements below, African elephant leads on more of them — but they do not all point the same way, and the ones that disagree are the interesting part.

## The measurements

|  | African elephant | grizzly bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 2,200–10,400 kg | 130–360 kg |
| Length | 5.5–7.5 m | 1.7–2.4 m |
| Height | 2.2–4 m | 0.9–1.1 m |
| Top speed | 40 km/h | 56 km/h |
| Bite force | — | 975 psi |
| Lifespan | 50–70 yr | 20–35 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: African elephant is 22× heavier.
- Length: African elephant is 3.3× longer.
- Height: African elephant is 3.2× taller.
- Top speed: grizzly bear is 1.4× faster.
- Lifespan: African elephant is 2.4× a longer life.

## What this does and does not tell you

These are measured averages with real ranges behind them, and every figure links to its own page. What they cannot do is settle an encounter. Outcomes between animals turn on circumstance — who initiates, whether either is hungry, defending young, injured or cornered, and what the terrain favours. Size and bite force are not decisive on their own, and most of these pairs never meet in the wild in any case, because their ranges do not overlap.

> Every figure here is an average with a substantial spread. Individual animals vary enormously — a large individual of the smaller species routinely exceeds a small individual of the larger one.

## Common questions

### Is a African elephant bigger than a grizzly bear?

African elephant is heavier — 2,200–10,400 kg against 130–360 kg.

### Who would win, a African elephant or a grizzly bear?

That is not something measurements can settle. The comparison above shows which animal leads on each measure, but an actual encounter depends on circumstance, motivation, health and terrain — and most pairs like this never meet in the wild.

## Related pages

- [How much does a African elephant weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/african-elephant/)
- [How much does a grizzly bear weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/grizzly-bear/)
- [cheetah vs grizzly bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-grizzly-bear/)
- [cougar vs grizzly bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-grizzly-bear/)
- [domestic cat vs grizzly bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-grizzly-bear/)
- [grizzly bear vs lion](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-lion/)
- [grizzly bear vs tiger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-tiger/)
- [grizzly bear vs leopard](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-leopard/)
- [grizzly bear vs jaguar](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-jaguar/)
- [grizzly bear vs snow leopard](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-snow-leopard/)
- [grizzly bear vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-polar-bear/)
- [grizzly bear vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-red-fox/)
- [grizzly bear vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [grizzly bear vs honey badger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-honey-badger/)

## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)