Giant Elephant Proves Size Does Matter and Faces Off with a Pride of Lions

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Written by Hannah Crawford

Published: November 28, 2023

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Elephant Size
© A-Z-Animals.com/AZ Animals

Does size matter? In the wild animal kingdom, size makes a big difference! As kings of the jungle, we may think they are on the top of the food chain with nothing to fear. However, the largest land animal, the elephant, might make them think twice about trying to fight. Don’t miss this funny action at the top!

Elephant and Lions Sighting in Africa

The YouTube video at the top of this blog post takes us to Africa. The land of Africa is home to the “Big Five,” which are lions, leopards, elephants, rhinoceros, and buffaloes. So, seeing an elephant and lion sighting in Africa isn’t all that surprising! 

Bull Elephant Chasing Off Lion Pride

Elephant chases six lions away from tree

Elephant tusks can reach up to eight feet.

©nwdph/Shutterstock.com

At the start of this video, we see a bull elephant walking around. “Bull” means this elephant is a male. For reference, a female elephant would be called a cow, and a baby elephant would be called a calf. 

It’s easy to miss, but if you look at this tall grass, we see a pride of lions that are all dispersed and lying down. The elephant quickly turns his attention to these intruders. He walks right over and starts to fling his trunk. It’s almost as if he is saying, “It’s time to move along now.” 

Shockingly, we see each lion get up and walk in the opposite direction, one by one. At one point, they all stop as if waiting for this bull to pass by. However, he doesn’t stop. Instead, he heads right for them as if to show them he’s not leaving until they have all gone. 

Are Elephants Prey to Lions?

First, if a predator can take down a particular animal, it’s necessary to understand the size of both animals. After all, to prey on an animal, they must be able to take it down. 

The African elephant can reach as tall as 12 feet and weigh up to 12,000 pounds. The male lion can get a little over eight feet in length and weighs up to 550 pounds. As we can see, there is a significant difference in size. However, lions hunt and fight as a pride. Lion prides can reach up to 40 members in some cases. 

Given the size of elephants, they are often labeled as having no natural enemies. However, lions will hunt and eat elephants if they are able. We mean that lions will prey on sick elephants or baby elephants. If they can take down an elephant, they will. However, if the elephant is healthy, as seen in the video posted at the top, these lions knew better than to mess with him. 


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About the Author

Hannah Crawford is a writer at A-Z Animals where she focuses on reptiles, mammals, and locations in Africa. Hannah has been researching and writing about animals and various countries for over eight years. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Communication\Performance Studies from Pensacola Christian College, which she earned in 2015. Hannah is a resident in Florida, and enjoys theatre, poetry, and growing her fish tank.

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