Lets play out some hypothetical scenarios and see if the mighty elephant has what it takes to defeat some of the deadliest animals on Earth.
Before we get into the battles, lets break down the key attributes of elephants.
First and foremost, elephants are massive. They have dinosaur like proportions and stand over 10ft tall and weigh between 12,000 – 15,000 pounds.
For such huge creatures, they are also quick and are capable of reaching speeds of 25mph.
They have an extremely strong and dexterious trunk that consist of 8 major muscle groups, 150,00 muscle bundles and is capable of lifting upwards of 800lb and pulling down massive trees.
They have massive six foot long tusk that can impale with impunity.
To top it off they are highly intelligent animals. In fact they are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet. They can identify language, use tools, understand human body language, mourn their dead and have incredible memories.
Elephants have the complete package when it comes to being able to dominate almost every animal on earth: they have size, strength, armor like skin, weapons galore and intelligence. Any animal in this list is going to have a very hard time dealing with all those tools, but lets get to the battles!
Elephant vs Crocodile
Crocodiles have been around for millions of years and are the ultimate survivors. They can weigh over 2000 pounds and can get over 17ft in length. They have incredibly tough skin, which protects them from attack and they have the strongest bite force of any animal. They are known to tackle large prey like wildebeest, zebra and gaur.
When it comes to a battle with an elephant, the crocodile will get decimated pretty easily. The size discrepancy is too extreme and the the crocodile would have a hard time mounting any offense.
On land, crocodiles are slow and maneuverability would be an issue. The elephant would merely stomp on the crocodile and it would be game over.
In water the crocodile might have a slightly better chance, as it can maneuver better and put itself in a better position to attack the elephant. If the crocodile did manage to bite the elephant, it would probably be on the trunk and while the crocodile would try in vain to drag the elephant into the water, the elephant would overpower the crocodile and drag it on land, where it would either toss it aside or impale it with its tusks. There have even been stories of hunters finding full grown crocodiles 20ft above ground in a tree. Apparently a crocodile made the dubious mistake of biting an elephant.
A crocodile has absolutely no chance against a elephant.
Winner: Elephant
Elephant vs Lion
Lions are the apex predator and have little to worry about when it comes to being preyed upon. They weigh over 500 pounds, can reach speeds of 50mph and leap up to 36 feet. They have razor sharp claws and daggers for teeth and can bite down on prey with a force of over 650 pounds per inch.
When it comes to a battle with a healthy and full sized elephant, a lion has an abysmal chance. It’s even more abysmal when you consider that lions are pack hunters and rely on their numbers to take down prey. While a lion is a formidable opponent in most respects, is not an efficient killing machine without its pack. To attack an elephant the lion would need to get at the rear of the elephant. It can not attack from the front, as the trunk and tusk of the elephant would surely dismantle the lion. If the lion is successful in getting to the rear of the elephant, the lion can claw and bite the elephant, although it would be in vain, as the elephant’s thick skin provides ample protection for it to to fling the lion off and trample or gore it.
Whoever said lions are ‘king of the jungle’ didn’t take into account elephants.
Winner: Elephant
Elephant vs Hippo
Hippos are one of the deadliest animals on earth and account for more human fatalities than any other animal, not including disease carrying insects. They have no predators and coexist among equally fearsome animals like crocodiles, lions and hyenas. They weigh over 3000 pounds, have 2 inch thick armor-like skin and are highly aggressive. They have tusks can reach an incredible 1.5 feet in length and they have a staggering bite force of over 2000 pounds per square inch! They make a formidable opponent for any animal that dares threatens its livelihood or calf. But how would it do against an elephant?
Much like every other animal in this list, the hippo would not fare well. The size, strength and the weapons elephants have at their disposal is too overwhelming. While a hippos has 1.5 foot long tusk, the elephant has two massive 6 foot sword protruding out of its mouth. The hippo would not even get close enough to use those tusk before it is gored to death or knocked over and trampled.
Winner: Elephant
Elephant vs Rhino
A Rhino is basically a tank on four legs. They are imposing animals that have great size, speed, armor and a fierce horn that can absolutely wreck most foe.
The largest rhino species is the white rhino. They weigh over 5000 pounds, are 13 feet long, 6 feet tall and can achieve speeds of 31mph.
Their skin is 2 inches thick and is offers plenty of protection against attacks.
Their rock solid horns can grow up to 5 feet in length and are sharp enough to penetrate even the thickest of hide.
They have a large neck hump that is pure muscle and which allows them create a powerful upward swing of their horn.
Rhinos are known to easily dispatch of hippos, lions, and hyenas in the wild, but an elephant is a totally different matter.
Of all the animals on this list, the rhino stands the best chance at actually defeating an elephant. However that chance is still slim.
The rhino’s best strategy against an elephant is by getting under it and goring it in a vital area, but getting under the elephant is a difficult task, made even more difficult by the fact that a rhino has ridiculously poor eye sight. Although the rhino can use it sense of hearing and smell to locate the elephant, it cannot accurately put itself in a position to deliver a fatal blow. The elephant would overpower the rhino, knocking it over and goring it with its tusks. Game over.
Winner: Elephant
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