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

# Cape buffalo vs polar bear

**Cape buffalo vs polar bear: 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 largest living land carnivore, classified as a marine mammal because it hunts from sea ice. 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 | polar bear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Mass | 350–900 kg | 150–700 kg |
| Length | 2.1–3.4 m | 1.8–3 m |
| Height | 1.3–1.7 m | 1–1.6 m |
| Top speed | 57 km/h | 40 km/h |
| Bite force | — | 1,200 psi |
| Lifespan | 18–29 yr | 20–32 yr |

## Where each one leads

- Mass: Cape buffalo is 1.4× heavier.
- Length: Cape buffalo is 1.2× longer.
- Height: Cape buffalo is 1.2× taller.
- Top speed: Cape buffalo is 1.4× faster.
- Lifespan: polar bear is 1.1× 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 polar bear?

Cape buffalo is heavier — 350–900 kg against 150–700 kg.

### Who would win, a Cape buffalo or a polar 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 Cape buffalo weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/cape-buffalo/)
- [How much does a polar bear weigh?](https://atoneplace.net/weight/polar-bear/)
- [lion vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/lion-vs-polar-bear/)
- [leopard vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/leopard-vs-polar-bear/)
- [jaguar vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/jaguar-vs-polar-bear/)
- [cheetah vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cheetah-vs-polar-bear/)
- [cougar vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/cougar-vs-polar-bear/)
- [domestic cat vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/domestic-cat-vs-polar-bear/)
- [grizzly bear vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/grizzly-bear-vs-polar-bear/)
- [polar bear vs tiger](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/polar-bear-vs-tiger/)
- [polar bear vs snow leopard](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/polar-bear-vs-snow-leopard/)
- [polar bear vs red fox](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/polar-bear-vs-red-fox/)
- [polar bear vs spotted hyena](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/polar-bear-vs-spotted-hyena/)
- [polar bear vs wolverine](https://atoneplace.net/animal-vs/polar-bear-vs-wolverine/)

## Sources

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