African elephant vs brown bear

Loxodonta africana compared with Ursus arctos

Key Differences

• African elephant is Vulnerable while brown bear is Extinct.
• African elephant is herbivore while brown bear is omnivore.
• African elephant is 20.0x heavier than brown bear.
• African elephant lives longer (65 years vs 25 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	African elephant	brown bear
Kingdom same	Animalia (hewan)	Animalia (hewan)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (mamalia)	Mammalia (mamalia)
Order	Proboscidea (Elephants)	Carnivora (Carnivorans)
Family	Elephantidae (Elephants)	Ursidae (Bears)
Genus	Loxodonta (African Elephants)	Ursus (Bears)
Species	Loxodonta africana	Ursus arctos

Evolutionary Relationship

African elephant and brown bear share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (mamalia)

Conservation Status

African elephant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~415.0K

Trend: Decreasing ↓

brown bear

EX — Extinct

Population: ~200.0K

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	African elephant	brown bear
Diet	Herbivore	Omnivore
Average Lifespan	65 years	25 years
Average Length	6.0 m	2.0 m
Average Weight	6.0 t	300.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

African elephant

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and flooded grasslands and savannas, among 5 distinct biome types within the Afrotropic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in Kenya. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

brown bear

Habitat

Typically found in a wide range of habitat types.

Range

Found across Europe (6 countries).

African elephant

The largest land animal on Earth, African elephants can reach 7,000 kg and inhabit sub-Saharan savannas, forests, and wetlands. Highly intelligent with complex social structures led by matriarchs, they communicate through infrasound, rumbles, and touch. As ecosystem engineers, they shape habitats by uprooting trees, digging waterholes, and dispersing seeds. Vulnerable, with populations declining due to ivory poaching and habitat loss.

brown bear

The world's most widely distributed bear species, brown bears range from North America and Europe across Russia to Japan, occupying forests, tundra, and alpine meadows. Adults can weigh up to 700 kg in coastal Alaskan populations. Omnivores that consume berries, roots, fish, and carrion, brown bears are a keystone species that distribute nutrients across landscapes. Most populations are stable, though some subspecies are threatened.