African Bush Elephant vs White Rhino: What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?
Elephant
Power, majesty, intelligence, the elephant has it all.
Elephants live in herds and, as the largest land animal in the world, they are overpowering giants with very few natural enemies. In fact, they are virtually unchallenged in the competitive realm of the wild.
In addition to their massive size and fearsome tusks, they have incredibly powerful trunks that are capable of knocking down trees.
It is no wonder that, throughout cultures and history, elephants have been revered as a symbol of strength, beauty, and even godliness.
Rhinoceros
The second largest land animal in the world, the rhinoceros is a living tank.
Rhinos are renowned for their massive size and lethal horns.
The only natural predator to a full grown rhino is the lion and even that is very rare, requiring a large and skilled pride to accomplish the tremendous task of taking one down.
Despite their bulky build, rhinos can run up to 30 miles (50 km) an hour, making them a practically unstoppable charging force.
Who would win: African Bush Elephant vs White Rhino
Elephants and rhinos vary in size, but the two biggest and most powerful of each species are the African Bush Elephant and White Rhinoceros.
| Stats | Elephant | Rhinoceros |
| Weight | 14,000 lb (6,350 kg) | 5,500 lb (2,495 kg) |
| Height | 13 ft (4m) | 7 ft (2.1m) |
| Length | 24 ft (7.3m) | 15 ft (4.6m) |
While the elephant clearly has the advantage in size, unfortunately for the rhino, stamina is about equal for both creatures.
In most recorded cases of conflict between the two, the rhino escapes by fleeing from the more intimidating elephant.
However, should both animals stay and fight to the death, even with the elephant’s many advantages, the ultimate victor may not be so black and white.
Despite not being as large, the rhino is faster and more agile than the elephant and its lethal horn can easily penetrate an elephant’s thick hide and reach its vital organs. In fact, in such a case, the rhino’s shorter stature can actually serve as an advantage, as it stands about eye level with the elephant’s exposed torso.
On the other hand, while the rhino’s horn may be at a convenient height to endanger the elephant, the same can be said regarding the elephant’s tusks and the rhino’s body.
Overall, winning will not be an easy feat for a rhino, because with its greater size, intelligence, tusks, and trunk, the elephant certainly will not make such an accomplishment simple to achieve.
Conclusion
While the rhino does have a small chance to be able to defeat its greater adversary, in the vast majority of cases the elephant will most likely keep his throne as the superior land animal.