---
title: "Cape buffalo vs giraffe — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Giraffe is 1.8× Cape buffalo on weight. Compared on 4 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/cape-buffalo-vs-giraffe/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Cape buffalo vs Giraffe

**Cape buffalo vs giraffe: Giraffe is larger on weight**

Giraffe is 1.8× Cape buffalo on weight.

A Cape buffalo and a giraffe can be compared on 4 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.*

|  | Cape buffalo | Giraffe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 350–900 kg | 700–1,930 kg |
| Height | 1.3–1.7 m | 4.3–5.9 m |
| Top speed | 57 km/h | 60 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 18–29 yr | 20–28 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Giraffe is 1.8× Cape buffalo on weight.
- Giraffe is 3.3× Cape buffalo on height.
- Cape buffalo and giraffe are near enough identical on top speed.
- Giraffe is somewhat greater than Cape buffalo on typical lifespan — about 1.1×.

*Weight compared.*

- Giraffe: 700–1,930 kg
- Cape buffalo: 350–900 kg

## Cape buffalo

A large, unpredictable African bovid whose fused horn bosses form a helmet across the skull.

## Giraffe

The tallest living animal; its neck holds the same seven vertebrae as a human neck.

> 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, Cape buffalo or giraffe?

Giraffe is 1.8× Cape buffalo on weight. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

### How do Cape buffalos and giraffes compare on height?

Cape buffalo: 1.3–1.7 m. Giraffe: 4.3–5.9 m. Giraffe is 3.3× Cape buffalo on height.

### How do Cape buffalos and giraffes compare on top speed?

Cape buffalo: 57 km/h. Giraffe: 60 km/h. Cape buffalo and giraffe are near enough identical on top speed.

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## Sources

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