---
title: "Cape buffalo vs gorilla — size, speed and bite force"
description: "Cape buffalo and gorilla compared on mass, length, speed, bite force and lifespan — every measure side by side, with why the numbers cannot settle an encounter."
url: https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cape-buffalo-vs-gorilla/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Cape buffalo vs gorilla

**Cape buffalo vs gorilla: gorilla leads on 2 of 3 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

A large, unpredictable African bovid whose fused horn bosses form a helmet across the skull. The largest living primate; dominant males, called silverbacks, are roughly twice the mass of females. On the measurements below, gorilla 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

|  | Cape buffalo | gorilla |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 350–900 kg | 70–270 kg |
| Length | 2.1–3.4 m | — |
| Height | 1.3–1.7 m | 1.3–1.8 m |
| Top speed | 57 km/h | — |
| Bite force | — | 1,300 psi |
| Lifespan | 18–29 yr | 35–55 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: Cape buffalo is 4.1× heavier.
- Height: gorilla is 1.1× taller.
- Lifespan: gorilla is 1.8× 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 Cape buffalo bigger than a gorilla?

Cape buffalo is heavier — 350–900 kg against 70–270 kg.

### Who would win, a Cape buffalo or a gorilla?

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 Cape buffalo weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/cape-buffalo/)
- [How much does a gorilla weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/gorilla/)
- [cheetah vs gorilla](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-gorilla/)
- [cougar vs gorilla](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-gorilla/)
- [domestic cat vs gorilla](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-gorilla/)
- [American black bear vs Cape buffalo](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-cape-buffalo/)
- [American black bear vs gorilla](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/american-black-bear-vs-gorilla/)
- [giant panda vs gorilla](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/giant-panda-vs-gorilla/)
- [coyote vs gorilla](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/coyote-vs-gorilla/)
- [African elephant vs Cape buffalo](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/african-elephant-vs-cape-buffalo/)
- [African elephant vs gorilla](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/african-elephant-vs-gorilla/)
- [Asian elephant vs Cape buffalo](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/asian-elephant-vs-cape-buffalo/)
- [Asian elephant vs gorilla](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/asian-elephant-vs-gorilla/)
- [black rhinoceros vs Cape buffalo](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/black-rhinoceros-vs-cape-buffalo/)

## Sources

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