Largest on Land

The largest living land animal is the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana). The average bull stands 3.2 m 10ft 6in at the shoulder and weighs 5.7 tonnes. The largest specimen ever recorded was a bull shot in Mucusso, Angola on 7 Nov 1974. Lying on its side this elephant measured 4.16 m 13ft 8 in. in a projected line from the highest point of the shoulder to the base of the forefoot, indicating a standing height of about 3.96m 13ft. Other measurements include an overall length of 10.6m 35ft (tip of extended trunk to tip of extended tail) and a forefoot circumstances of 1.8m 5ft 11in. Its weight was computed as 12.24 tonnes.