Each and every animal has its own strength and weaknesses and various capabilities. Some have pure brute strength and others are capable of lifting, dragging, carrying or pulling heavy weights. On the other hand others are much smaller but have immense power compared to their size. Below are some of the world’s strongest animals.
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Bear
The first on our list of the world’s strongest animals are bears. Bears are some of the most intelligent animals in the world. They have excellent navigation skills compared to humans, they also have a sharp memory, a large brain to body ratio plus they are capable of using tools in various contexts from play to hunting like human children. Bear cubs are also very playful and just like human mothers, if they get too rough, or out of hand their mother bears intervene to make them stop in order to protect them from hurting themselves. Apart from being strong and intelligent bears are also empathetic. They grieve deeply for others and their cubs are known to moan and cry if separated from their mothers. The moaning and crying can go on for weeks if their mothers are killed by hunters.
Elephant
The second animal on our list of the strongest animals in the world is an Elephant. When it comes to pure strength elephants are the strongest mammals and the strongest land animals in the world. African elephants weigh up to 6,350kg and they are capable of carrying up to 9,000kg, which is equivalent to the weight of 130 adult human beings.
Their size as well as their ability to carry ridiculous amounts of weight is not the only reason elephants are some of the strongest animals. Elephants have trunks containing 40,000 muscles and tendons, and their trunks can carry 300 kg. In addition, African bush elephants are known for their long tusks, that can grow to over two meters and can be used used for digging, defending themselves aggressively from predators, and for fighting amongst themselves.
Tiger
Also on our list of the strongest animals in the world are tigers. Tigers are also the largest members of the cat family and are known for their power and strength. Of the 10 sub-species found across Asia, the largest one is the Siberian tiger which is about 2.5 meters long and weighs around 300kg. Tigers are also popular for being able to carry kills up to twice their own body weight on the ground and many meters up a tree.
Gorilla
The gorilla is also another strong animal and the largest ape in the world. It is also the strongest primate that is known for its impressive strength. They weigh up to 200 kg, and are able to lift almost 2,000 kg, which is 10 times their body weight. Compared to humans, the arms of a gorilla are particularly large, long, and strong with an arm span of up to 2.5 meters long. Climbing and knuckle-walking strengthens their arms, plus it is estimated that a gorilla is around 15 times stronger than an average person.
Researchers have shown that gorillas live in complex social groups, and each gorilla has an individual personality. They are also able to make and use tools and show emotions such as grief and compassion.
Anaconda
Anacondas are some of the heaviest snakes in the world. They can live in water and often slither unnoticed along the riverbed. There are many sub-species of anacondas and the largest being the green anaconda, coming in at up to 250 kg and 10 meters long. These snakes can constrict, kill, and eat prey as heavy as their own bodyweight, and this allows them to take on large prey such as caimans, wild pigs, and even jaguars. They are one of the world’s strongest animals due to their ability to squeeze and crush large animals plus some people believe that an anaconda would win a fight with a gorilla. The anaconda’s body design allows it to swallow their dead prey in one and digest the entire meal in just a few days, with such a metabolism they can go for months without eating.
Eagle
An eagle is the strongest bird that is able to lift and fly with close to four times their own body weight and we are talking of a deer, monkey, fox, or a wildcat. The ability to fly with such heavy prey is achieved by a combination of size, wingspan, and powerful feet together with sharp talons. Eagles can fly at heights of up to 4,000 meters and can glide for hours without rest using their strong vision to spot prey from a long distance before tracking and swooping. These birds are admired the world over as symbols of power, freedom, and transcendence.
Rhinoceros Beetle
A rhinoceros beetles is capable of lifting an object 850 times its own weight. If a human being had the strength of the rhinoceros beetle, we would be able to lift a 65 ton object. If an elephant had equal strength to the rhinoceros beetle it would be able to carry 850 elephants on its back. Rhinoceros beetles are some of the largest group of beetles in the world, reaching up to 15 cm long. Their size helps the beetle claim the position of the second strongest insect, and the second strongest animal in the world when measuring strength related to body weight.
Dung Beetle
A dung beetle is also one of the world’s strongest insect but also another strong animal on the planet compared to its body weight. Dung beetles can pull 1,141 times their own body weight which is the equivalent of an average person pulling six double-decker buses full of people.
Leafcutter Ant
The 2 centimetre long leafcutter ant is also another strong insect with the ability to lift and carry an object 50 times its own weight in its jaws. Leafcutter ants have the stamina to carry these objects over long distances back to their nest. Also, ant societies have division of labour, communication between individuals, and have the ability to solve complex problems.