---
title: "Cape buffalo vs lion — size, speed and bite force"
description: "Cape buffalo and lion 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-lion/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Cape buffalo vs lion

**Cape buffalo vs lion: Cape buffalo leads on 4 of 5 measures**

Measured comparison — not a prediction

A large, unpredictable African bovid whose fused horn bosses form a helmet across the skull. The second-largest living cat and the only one that lives in permanent social groups. On the measurements below, Cape buffalo 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 | lion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 350–900 kg | 120–250 kg |
| Length | 2.1–3.4 m | 1.6–2.5 m |
| Height | 1.3–1.7 m | 0.9–1.2 m |
| Top speed | 57 km/h | 60–80 km/h |
| Bite force | — | 650 psi |
| Lifespan | 18–29 yr | 10–20 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: Cape buffalo is 3.4× heavier.
- Length: Cape buffalo is 1.3× longer.
- Height: Cape buffalo is 1.4× taller.
- Top speed: lion is 1.4× faster.
- Lifespan: Cape buffalo is 1.6× 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 lion?

Cape buffalo is heavier — 350–900 kg against 120–250 kg.

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

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 lion weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/lion/)
- [lion vs tiger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-tiger/)
- [lion vs snow leopard](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-snow-leopard/)
- [lion vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-polar-bear/)
- [lion vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-red-fox/)
- [lion vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [lion vs wolverine](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-wolverine/)
- [lion vs pit bull](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-pit-bull/)
- [lion vs rottweiler](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-rottweiler/)
- [lion vs white rhinoceros](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-white-rhinoceros/)
- [lion vs moose](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-moose/)
- [lion vs white-tailed deer](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-white-tailed-deer/)
- [lion vs plains zebra](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-plains-zebra/)

## Sources

- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Smithsonian Institution (https://naturalhistory.si.edu/)
- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation (https://www.wikidata.org/) [CC0 1.0]