The strongest animals in the world may not even be the most violent. In fact, contrary to public opinion, animals are not generally given to violence. They only fight to defend themselves, or kill for food. Jim Corbett proved beyond doubt that animals only deviate from their natural instincts when something has gone very wrong.
Naturally, the best way to measure one’s strength is against another. But since there are no professional boxers in the animal kingdom, there is no safe way of taking this measurement without some sort of cruelty.
Nevertheless, available information in public domain will be put to use to determine what animals are strongest.
Strongest Animals In The World
1. Blue Whale
The Blue Whale is the biggest animal in the world; it weighs in at around 150 tons, and measures around -80 feet. People generally know that a Whale has a layer of fat protecting its body against the cold, but what they don’t know is that under that fat is muscle.
The Blue Whale has the most muscle mass of any known animal, and as a result it can pull about 30 tons and can lift around 6300 kg. One only needs to look at the amount of power it should take to move such a massive body against the drag of the water.
To understand this better one could look at how much power it takes to drive a ship of a similar size. The Blue Whale is simply out of this world.
2. Fin Whale
The Fin Whale measures 75-80 feet, and weighs up to 75 tons. This is the only animal to be compared with the Blue Whale, and it may even be faster. The Fin Whale proves its strength just by going about its daily life. The very fact that it can propel its massive weight up at speeds of up to 35 km/h and sometimes around 40 km/ h shows that it packs a lot of strength under the hood.
This beautiful monster has been nicknamed the “Greyhound of the Sea,” as a way of acknowledging its speed and strength. Bear in mind that it performs this feat despite the drag of the water, and if it was not so, it would probably run at twice that speed.
The Fin Whale could also drag along something of a similar size, it has proven this much just by swimming leisurely in the seas. However, there are not many animals in the world who would consider a standoff against this animal.
3. Right Whales
If size equals strength, then the Right Whale is next in line. It is the third biggest Whale in the world, and also the third biggest animal. It measures 13-17 meters in length, and weighs 100 tons. An elephant weighs 7 tons at the maximum, so a single Right Whale would probably be equal to 14 elephants of the biggest size.
A particular feature of this animal is that it is quite heavily stocked; thereby having a lot of body weight. To move such a heavy body would no doubt require a powerful engine; the Right Whale is certainly strong enough; we can know that because it propels its huge mass at the speed of 35km/h.
However, this whale is quite docile and inquisitive; it is not a kind of animal to fight just to show strength.
4. Gray Whales
Gray Whales are the type of whales you don’t want to bother; they are huge, and like to remind everyone to keep a distance because they deserve the respect. Gray Whales measure 50 feet in length, and can weigh as such as 40 tons.
If that is not enough proof of its strength; just consider that this whale can migrate literally around the world. What remarkable strength and endurance!
Gray Whales are tough; and they enforce their dominance by lashing out when disturbed. That is probably the reason why these Whales are still in existence; otherwise they could have been hunted to extinction by now. One can say they have literally fought for their survival!
5. Sperm Whales
Sperm Whales measure 16 meters in length, and they also weigh 41 tons. While the other animals before this one don’t have teeth; this one does; and it is not afraid to use them. It is the largest toothed predator in the world, and is also one with the biggest brain. However, it is not the teeth that one should fear; it is the tail. The sperm Whale can deliver powerful blows with its tail, and can stun its attacker. In that one swift movement it can upturn a mid sized boat.
This animal is very social; it lives in large groups, and together they form gangs that can defeat any attacker, and break the defenses of any animals they decide to eat on the day. Their strength therefore does not reside only in their massive size or teeth, but also in their brains.
6. Humpback whales
Humpback whales are giants of the deep; they measure up to 17 meters in length, and weigh up to 40 tons. Whale watchers maybe more acquainted with this type of whale because it is quite inquisitive, and can approach vessels to know what they are all about. You may have also seen more of this whale’s pictures because they tend to pose for the camera.
However, they can be quite aggressive when threatened; they can easily flip a small boat or yacht if they feel they are being attacked. The best thing about this animal is that as long as it does not feel threatened, then there is no need for a show of strength.
7. Whale sharks
Whale Sharks are sharks that behave like whales. If this shark had chosen a diet of meat then there would probably be no animals left in the seas because it would take a lot of consumption to douse the hunger of such a huge creature.
Whale Sharks can grow to a length of 18.8 meters, and they can reach a weight of 60 tons. Thankfully though, this animal is not interested in eating you; it eats plankton, as well as small fish and shrimps.
It is the largest extant non-mammalian vertebrate; all the others before it are mammals. This animal has especially good regenerative abilities; it can heal very big wounds in less than a month; which means it is not likely to back out from a fight.
8. Killer whales
Killer whales, also known as Orcas are a very familiar sight; they are even kept in aquariums around the world. No doubt; they are small when compared to the animals highlighted before them; they measure 8 meters in length, and 6 tons in weight. They have a bite force that has been measured at 19,000 psi; which is important because they are predators.
These animals are also intelligent; they hunt in groups- which greatly increases their chances of hunting successfully. They are the second fastest marine mammal species, and they prove their strength by the animals they hunt.
Orcas hunt seals, whales, and dolphins among other marine life forms; they have been called the apex predators of the oceans.
9. African Bush Elephants
African Bush Elephants are the biggest of the elephant species; and also the biggest animals on land. They can measure up to 13 feet in height, and weigh up to 10 tons. This is the whale of the land; because despite that huge size it is not interested in what you taste like; it only eats grass and other vegetation.
African Bush elephants sometimes wrestle for the right to breed; and that sometimes means pushing down another male weighing 10 tons! They also have remarkable endurance; they have been used as beasts of burden; carrying over 9,000kg.
They are like giant gardeners; they shape the landscape of the areas they occupy. This they do by pushing down trees so that grass can grow. Grass is their favorite food.
10. Asian Elephants
Asian Elephants are also huge beasts; they can reach heights of up to 3.2 meters, and weigh up to 6 tons. It is only slightly smaller than the African Bush Elephant; and it also has a smoother body with a lighter color.
Asian Elephants are a lot friendlier than their cousins in Africa; while those ones were busy getting slaughtered to near extinction for their ivory; Asian Elephants were proving their strength and usefulness in construction, travelling, and hunting.
They have been companions of humans for a very long time, and have been used to lift very heavy logs such as logs, blocks and iron.
The following is a more extensive list of the strongest animals in the world.
| Rank | Animal | Habitat |
| 1 | Blue Whale | Water |
| 2 | Fin Whale | Water |
| 3 | Right Whales | Water |
| 4 | Gray Whales | Water |
| 5 | Sperm Whales | Water |
| 6 | Humpback Whales | Water |
| 7 | Whale Shark | Water |
| 8 | Orca | Water |
| 9 | African Bush Elephant | Land |
| 10 | Asian Elephant | Land |
| 11 | Great White Shark | Water |
| 12 | Basking Shark | Water |
| 13 | Tiger Shark | Water |
| 14 | Bull Shark | Water |
| 15 | Saltwater Crocodile | Water/Land |
| 16 | Nile Crocodile | Water/Land |
| 17 | White Rhino | Land |
| 18 | Indian One-Horned Rhino | Land |
| 19 | Black Rhino | Land |
| 20 | Hippopotamus | Land |
| 21 | Polar Bear | Land |
| 22 | Gaur | Land |
| 23 | African Cape Buffalo | Land |
| 24 | American Alligator | Water/Land |
| 25 | Siberian Tiger | Land |
| 26 | Royal Bengal Tiger | Land |
| 27 | Grizzly Bear | Land |
| 28 | Indo-Chinese Tiger | Land |
| 29 | African Lion | Land |
| 30 | Asiatic Lion | Land |
| 31 | Eastern Lowland Gorilla | Land |
| 32 | Belgian Draft Horses | Land |
| 33 | American Black Bears | Land |
| 34 | American Bison | Land |
| 35 | Moose | Land |
| 36 | Jaguars | Land |
| 37 | Leopards | Land |
| 38 | Green Anaconda | Land |
| 39 | Reticulated Python | Land |
| 40 | Beluga Sturgeons | Water |
| 41 | Blue Marlin | Water |
| 42 | Bluefin Tuna | Water |
| 43 | Arapaima gigas | Water |
| 44 | Mekong Giant Catfish | Water |
| 45 | Goonch Catfish | Water |
| 46 | Giraffe | Land |
| 47 | Ostrich | Land |
| 48 | Zebras | Land |
| 49 | Cassowary | Land |
| 50 | Cougar | Land |
| 51 | Komodo Dragon | Land |
| 52 | Spotted Hyenas | Land |
| 53 | Grey Wolves | Land |
| 54 | Boar | Land |
| 55 | Cobra | Land |
| 56 | Buffalo | Land |
| 57 | Water Buffalo | Land |
| 58 | Wildebeest | Land |
| 59 | Springbok | Land |
| 60 | Big Horns | Land |
| 61 | Lynx | Land |
| 62 | African Wild Dogs | Land |
| 63 | Dingoes | Land |
| 64 | Kangaroos | Land |
| 65 | Baboons | Land |
| 66 | Chimpanzees | Land |
| 67 | African Wild Ass | Land |
| 68 | Giant Forest Hogs | Land |
| 69 | Hartebeest | Land |
| 70 | Harpy Eagles | Land |
| 71 | Rock Badgers | Land |
| 72 | Old World Vultures | Land |
| 73 | Abdim’s Storks | Land |
| 74 | African Fish Eagle | Land |
| 75 | Madagascar Fish Eagle | Land |
| 76 | Verreaux’s Eagle-owl | Land |
| 77 | African Grass Owl | Land |
| 78 | Spotted Eagle Owl | Land |
| 79 | Peregrine Falcon | Land |
| 80 | American Kestrel | Land |
| 81 | Common Kestrel | Land |
| 82 | Red Tailed Hawk | Land |
| 83 | Eurasian Sparrow hawk | Land |
| 84 | Black kite | Land |
| 85 | Cooper’s Hawk | Land |
| 86 | Sharp Shinned Hawk | Land |
| 87 | American Fish Eagle | Land |
| 88 | Crowned Eagle | Land |
| 89 | Bald Eagle | Land |
| 90 | Secretary Bird | Land |
| 91 | Stellar’s Sea Eagle | Land |
| 92 | Cormorant | Land/Water |
| 93 | Weasel | Land |
| 94 | King Penguins | Water/Land |
| 95 | Walrus | Water/Land |
| 96 | Emperor Penguin | Water/Land |
| 97 | Hammerhead Shark | Land |
| 98 | Thick-billed Raven | Land |
| 99 | Common Raven | Land |
| 100 | Wild Turkeys | Land |
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Closing
The strongest animals in the world do not go about showcasing their strength; they are either using it to find food, or to avoiding becoming someone else’s food. Sometimes, flight is the best way to measure strength; fleeing animals can even throw down their attackers in the process of flight; and when they survive an attack it actually proves that they are stronger than their attacker.
An animal may attack another not to show that it is stronger, but because it is its instinctive duty to do so as a predator. Animals do this on a daily basis in their natural habitats where it is all about the survival of the fittest.