---
title: "Cape buffalo vs moose — size, weight and speed compared"
description: "Cape buffalo is somewhat greater than moose on weight — about 1.3×. Compared on 6 measured properties, with the full range and a source for each."
url: https://atoneplace.net/vs/cape-buffalo-vs-moose/
site: "At One Place"
---

# Cape buffalo vs Moose

**Cape buffalo vs moose: Cape buffalo is larger on weight**

Cape buffalo is somewhat greater than moose on weight — about 1.3×.

A Cape buffalo and a moose can be compared on 6 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 | Moose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weight | 350–900 kg | 200–720 kg |
| Height | 1.3–1.7 m | 1.4–2.1 m |
| Length | 2.1–3.4 m | 2.4–3.1 m |
| Width | 0.9–1.2 m | 1.2–1.8 m |
| Top speed | 57 km/h | 56 km/h |
| Typical lifespan | 18–29 yr | 15–25 yr |

## What the numbers say

- Cape buffalo is somewhat greater than moose on weight — about 1.3×.
- Moose is somewhat greater than Cape buffalo on height — about 1.3×.
- Cape buffalo and moose are near enough identical on length.
- Moose is 1.5× Cape buffalo on width.
- Cape buffalo and moose are near enough identical on top speed.
- Cape buffalo is somewhat greater than moose on typical lifespan — about 1.2×.

*Weight compared.*

- Cape buffalo: 350–900 kg
- Moose: 200–720 kg

## Cape buffalo

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

## Moose

The largest deer; called elk in Europe, which is a different animal in North America.

> 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 moose?

Cape buffalo is somewhat greater than moose on weight — about 1.3×. Both figures are typical values; the full range for each is in the table above.

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

Cape buffalo: 1.3–1.7 m. Moose: 1.4–2.1 m. Moose is somewhat greater than Cape buffalo on height — about 1.3×.

### How do Cape buffalos and moose compare on length?

Cape buffalo: 2.1–3.4 m. Moose: 2.4–3.1 m. Cape buffalo and moose are near enough identical on length.

## Related pages

- [American bison vs moose](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-moose/)
- [American bison vs Cape buffalo](https://atoneplace.net/vs/american-bison-vs-cape-buffalo/)
- [Dromedary camel vs moose](https://atoneplace.net/vs/dromedary-camel-vs-moose/)
- [Cape buffalo vs cow](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cape-buffalo-vs-cow/)
- [Cape buffalo vs giraffe](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cape-buffalo-vs-giraffe/)
- [Moose vs polar bear](https://atoneplace.net/vs/moose-vs-polar-bear/)
- [Moose vs plains zebra](https://atoneplace.net/vs/moose-vs-plains-zebra/)
- [Cape buffalo vs dromedary camel](https://atoneplace.net/vs/cape-buffalo-vs-dromedary-camel/)

## Sources

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