---
title: "Blue wildebeest vs lion — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Blue wildebeest and lion are near enough identical on weight. Compared on 5 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/blue-wildebeest-vs-lion/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Blue wildebeest vs Lion

**Blue wildebeest vs lion: Near enough equal on weight**

Blue wildebeest and lion are near enough identical on weight.

A blue wildebeest and a lion can be compared on 5 measures. The figures below are typical adult or full-size values, with the larger of the two in bold.

## Side by side

*Larger value in bold. Ranges reflect genuine variation, not uncertainty.*

|  | Blue wildebeest | Lion |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 118–290 kg | 120–250 kg |
| Height | 1.15–1.45 m | 0.9–1.2 m |
| Length | 1.7–2.4 m | 1.6–2.5 m |
| Top speed | 80 km/h | 60–80 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 15–25 yr | 10–20 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Blue wildebeest and lion are near enough identical on weight.
- Blue wildebeest is somewhat greater than lion on height — about 1.2×.
- Blue wildebeest and lion are near enough identical on length.
- Blue wildebeest and lion are near enough identical on top speed.
- Blue wildebeest is somewhat greater than lion on typical lifespan — about 1.4×.

*Weight compared.*

- Blue wildebeest: 118–290 kg
- Lion: 120–250 kg

## Blue wildebeest

The antelope of the Serengeti migration, about 1.3 million of which move in a single annual circuit.

## Lion

The second-largest living cat and the only one that lives in permanent social groups.

> This is a comparison of published measurements, nothing more. It describes how two things differ on measures that have been recorded; it does not predict how they would fare against each other in any situation.

## Common questions

### Which is bigger, blue wildebeest or lion?

Blue wildebeest and lion are near enough identical on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do blue wildebeest and lions compare on height?

Blue wildebeest: 1.15–1.45 m. Lion: 0.9–1.2 m. Blue wildebeest is somewhat greater than lion on height — about 1.2×.

### How do blue wildebeest and lions compare on length?

Blue wildebeest: 1.7–2.4 m. Lion: 1.6–2.5 m. Blue wildebeest and lion are near enough identical on length.

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## Sources

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