Polar Bear vs Elephant: Who Would Win in a Fight?

Written by Kyle Glatz
Updated: March 7, 2023
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Polar bears are the largest and arguably the strongest bear in the world. They live in the northernmost ranges of the northern hemisphere, including the Arctic Circle. Elephants are massive herbivores that live in Africa and Asia. The chances of a polar bear vs elephant fight taking place are very small, but it’s interesting to consider. What happens when you pit a monstrous predator against a large but gentle mammal?

We have gathered the data and put our imaginations to work to bring this fight to life. Consider the various points of data and see whether the polar bear or the elephant would walk away alive!

Comparing a Polar Bear and an Elephant

Polar bear vs elephant
Elephants are larger, heavier, and just as fast as polar bears on land.
Polar BearElephant
SizeWeight: 330lbs – 1,300lbs
Height: 3.5ft – 5ft at the shoulder Length: 6ft – 9.5ft
Weight: 6,500lbs – 12,000lbs
Height: 7ft – 12ft at the shoulder Length: 18ft – 21ft
Speed and Movement Type– 25 mph top speed
– Gallops when sprinting
– 6 mph swimming
9-25 mph
– Charging, running gait that is not a trot or gallop.
Bite Power and Teeth1200 PSI bite power
– 42 teeth, sharp and some are slightly hooked
– 2-inch canine teeth
-Elephants have weak teeth and do not use them for defense.  
Senses– Powerful sense of smell used to find seals from miles away
– Sensitive hearing that detects a wide range of frequencies.
– Human-like sight, capable of distinguishing depth and color.
– Great hearing
– Poor vision
Can sniff out food miles away  
Defenses– Large size
– Growl can scare others
– Thick, insulated fur and skin
– Capable of swimming in frigid waters
– Massive size and weight
– Tough skin
Offensive Capabilities– Sharp, curved claws measuring about 4 inches used to grasp
– Powerful bite    
– Tusks can impale enemies
–  Devastating stomps
– Can use head and trunk to tip prey – High animal intelligence
Predatory Behavior– Ambush predator for seals, waiting on the ice above their surfacing holes
– Will directly pursue and kill prey on land, including humans when very hungry.
– Non-predator but will fiercely attack encroachers.
– Grazes for much of the day

The Key Factors in a Fight Between a Polar Bear and an Elephant

Strongest animal bite – polar bear

The size, weight, height, offensive powers, and hunting skills would be key factors in a fight between polar bears and elephants.

©Zhiltsov Alexandr/Shutterstock.com

Figuring out which of these mammals would win a fight against one another requires examining a lot of data. The most important key factors in this fight would undoubtedly be the physical traits of the animals and the way they attack their enemies.

We have gathered and analyzed seven points of data that fall into two categories: physical features and combat skills. Consider each of these elements and see the major advantages that one creature has against the other.  

Physical Features of Polar Bears and Elephants

Where do elephants live - elephant habitat

Elephants can grow up to 12ft tall and weigh

12,000lbs, but polar bears only stand 5ft tall and weigh 1,300lbs.

©Stephen Bridger/Shutterstock.com

Polar bears and elephants are both large, speedy, powerful creatures. However, the only way to determine which of these creatures is better suited to fight against the other is to parse their physical statistics.

We are going to look at five different physical features to see which animal has the true advantage in this battle.

Polar Bear vs Elephant: Size

Size and weight are very important features to look at when considering two contestants. A cursory glance at these creatures reveals that the polar bear is fighting against an animal in a completely different weight class, and that’s bad news.

The elephant can grow up to 12ft tall and weigh 12,000lbs, and the polar bear can grow up to 5ft tall at the shoulder and weigh 1,300lbs.

Thee largest elephant ever recorded weighed about 24,000 pounds and is displayed in a Smithsonian Museum today. Compare that to the largest polar bear on record which weighed 2,209 pounds!

The elephant has a clear advantage against polar bears in size.

Polar Bear vs Elephant: Speed and Movement

A charging elephant can reach speeds of up to 25mph, meaning it can run down a lot of different enemies. The polar bear can gallop at a speed of 25mph as well, and it can swim at a swift 6mph.

The speed and movement of polar bears and elephants are too close to call, so it’s a tie.

Polar Bear vs Elephant: Bite Power and Teeth

On one hand, elephants only use their teeth to chew plant matter, so they do not have any appreciable biting power compared to carnivores.

On the other hand, polar bears have one of the strongest bites in the animal kingdom, reaching 1,200PSI. Their teeth are only 2 inches long, but they are slightly curved to tear flesh and keep a hold on their prey.

Polar bears have the advantage in bite power and teeth.  

Polar Bear vs Elephant: Senses

Elephants have a wonderful sense of hearing that helps alert them to encroaching predators, but they also have poor vision. They find food with a very potent sense of smell that can detect food from miles away.

Polar bears have great senses for finding prey like other predators. They can also smell prey from miles away in the right conditions. Their vision is good, similar to humans, and capable of seeing in the ultra-bright conditions of the snowy Arctic. Their hearing is one of the few ever studied and measured by humans, and it’s sensitive to a variety of frequencies, so they can hear other animals well enough.

The polar bear has the advantage in senses.

Polar Bear vs Elephant: Physical Defenses

The polar bear’s defenses are extensive, making use of their large size, great senses, fierce roar, and ability to flee from danger on land or water to stay safe.

Elephants are so large that predators simply do not bother with them out of fear.

Polar bears have a more diverse set of physical defenses than elephants, so they get the advantage.

Combat Skills of Polar Bears and Elephants

Can Bears Swim

Polar bears are highly effective predators that can hunt on land and in the water.

©Vladimir Gjorgiev/Shutterstock.com

As we’ve said before, the physical traits of an animal are only one part of the equation. An animal must know how to put their bodies to use to win a fight. Fortunately, this bout features two creatures that understand how to take out other animals with ease.

Polar Bear vs Elephant: Offensive Capabilities

The offensive powers of an elephant are not numerous, but they’re very effective. Elephants will use their tusks to flip and then gore an enemy, or they will simply use their body weight to crush them, especially by stomping.

Polar bears use their hooked claws and strength to grasp and hold prey while mauling it with their powerful jaws and teeth.

Both animals are very capable in their offensive capabilities, so they tie on this point.

Polar Bear vs Elephant: Predatory Behaviors

Elephants have no predatory behaviors, only defensive measures they employ against predators. They will charge and feign attacks to drive back predators or kill those that get close enough.

Polar bears are natural predators that will chase down and kill prey or wait by seals’ breaching holes in the ice to feed on them.

Polar bears are much more effective predators than elephants.  

What Are Key Differences Between a Polar Bear and an Elephant?

Heaviest Animals: Polar Bear

Polar bears are powerful carnivores, and elephants are more powerful herbivores.

©Alexey Seafarer/Shutterstock.com

Elephants are herbivores that are 12 feet tall, weigh over 10,000 pounds, and measure up to 20 feet long while polar bears are carnivores that stand 5 feet tall, weigh over 1,000 pounds, and measure over 9 feet in length.

The mammals are also very different in terms of how they find food and their level of aggression. Polar bears are highly aggressive, even towards humans. Elephants also pose a threat to humans, but they only actively kill them if they get too close. A polar bear can sometimes hunt humans.

Who Would Win in a Fight Between a Polar Bear and an Elephant?

elephant close up in a field

An elephant would handily beat a polar bear in a fight.

©David Steele/Shutterstock.com

An elephant would win in a polar bear vs elephant fight. The elephant is simply too large for the bear to do anything meaningful against. The polar bear can’t exactly leap onto an elephant’s back, so it would only be able to attack the elephant’s legs and stomach area. They could do serious damage to that area of the body, but they would put themselves in terrible danger in hopes of landing a blow.

The fight would likely end with an elephant charging and trampling the polar bear. The bear might inflict a few gashes or bites against the elephant, but that is not enough to kill it. Polar bears do not even have the benefit of a large pack to bring down an elephant, either.

Just about everything an elephant would do to attack a polar bear would be fatal, either by goring or stomping it to death. Either way, the elephant wins.

What Kind of Animal Can Win a Battle with an Elephant?

An adult elephant might just be the most difficult animal to take down without help. A solo battle against one is never going to be fair. Packs of hyenas will attempt to kill an elephant. Prides or small groups of lions might also try to fight them. But these predators are smart enough to know that this is not a one-animal job to take down a full-grown elephant!

While you may never see it actually happen, one animal that could potentially win a one-on-one battle with an adult elephant is an adult rhino that has a reason to fight. Make no mistake, if these two squared off in a duel, it would be fight amongst giants.

The best advantage that a rhino has is its ferocious charge. Rhinos are fast runners when they get up to speed, and they are so big that when you pair that with a huge horn, they can deliver a gore attack that could possibly be leather to an elephant or put one on its side. If an elephant was pushed over, the rhino could definitely deal lethal damage with its horn and kill its foe.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © imperio10/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Kyle Glatz is a writer at A-Z-Animals where his primary focus is on geography and mammals. Kyle has been writing for researching and writing about animals and numerous other topics for 10 years, and he holds a Bachelor's Degree in English and Education from Rowan University. A resident of New Jersey, Kyle enjoys reading, writing, and playing video games.

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