Lion size, speed and strength — the real numbers
Lions are routinely described as the strongest cat alive. They are not: they are the most socially formidable. Here is what the measurements actually show. Full context is in our lion guide.
How big is a lion?
Adult males typically weigh 150–225 kg and measure about 1.2 m at the shoulder, with a head-and-body length near 2 m before the tail. Females are considerably smaller at roughly 110–160 kg. That sexual size difference is among the most pronounced of any cat and reflects the male's role in territorial conflict.
How fast can a lion run?
A lion can reach about 80 km/h, but only in a burst lasting a few hundred metres. Lions are ambush predators built for acceleration and grappling power, not sustained pursuit — which is why a hunt that fails in the first rush is usually abandoned.
How strong is a lion's bite?
Lion bite force is estimated at roughly 650 PSI. That is formidable, but a tiger bites harder in absolute terms and a jaguar bites harder relative to its size. The lion's real advantage is numbers: a coordinated pride can bring down prey no individual cat could tackle alone.
What a pride can take down
Working together, lionesses regularly kill buffalo of 500 kg or more, and prides in some regions specialise in juvenile elephants, hippos or giraffes. Cooperative hunting, not individual power, is what puts those animals on the menu.
Lion versus tiger, on the numbers
Tigers are larger — the Amur tiger can exceed 300 kg against a big lion's 225 kg — and bite harder. Lions compensate with social structure. Comparisons of "which would win" ignore the fact that the two species barely overlap in the wild and are shaped by completely different hunting problems.
These are the animals our partners work to keep alive alongside farming communities. Our lion appeal funds that work.
Read the full lion wildlife guide for IUCN status, population context and sources — or donate to WARN to help fund the partner teams protecting wildlife on the ground.
