Leopard vs Gorilla: Who Would Win in a Fight?

By md.admin Last updated Jul 3, 2022

Comparing a Leopard and a Gorilla

The key differences between leopards and gorillas are their body types, size, and speed.

A-Z-Animals.com

	Leopard	Gorilla
Size	Weight: 66 – 198 lbs Length: 3.5 – 6.2 ft Height: 2 – 2.3 ft	Weight: 220 – 440 lbs Height: 4.4 – 5.1 ft Length: 4 – 5 ft
Speed and Movement Type	35-40mph	-25 mph -Can move quickly by knucklewalking
Senses	– Amazing night vision – A very sensitive sense of smell – Sense of hearing that is roughly five times more powerful than human hearing	-Human-like sense of sight -Good sense of smell -Human-like sense of hearing
Defenses	– Speed to outrun many predators in its area – Easily climbs trees – Stealthy when hiding in trees	– Threat display – Speed
Offensive Capabilities	– Powerful bite – Long teeth – Sharp claws that are retracted when not in use, allowing them to stay sharp	-Open-handed strikes (can’t make true fists) -Biting – Intelligence to identify weak spots on enemies – Immense strength, capable of lifting over 1,000lbs
Predatory Behavior	– Unique hunters that wait until they are close to their prey before pouncing rather than running them down – Mostly nocturnal but can be diurnal or crepuscular	– Opportunistic predator as an omnivore

What Are Key Differences Between a Leopard and a Gorilla?

Gorilla coming down the path — Gorillas are about twice the height of leopards.

iStock.com/dbar99

The key differences between leopards and gorillas are their body types, size, and speed. Leopards are quadrupedal felines that weigh about 200lbs and run at 40 mph. Gorillas are mostly bipedal primates that weigh about 400lbs and run at 25 mph over short distances.

Gorillas are about twice the height of leopards, live in small groups as opposed to being solitary like leopards, and are omnivores instead of carnivores like leopards.

These major differences between gorillas and leopards will define this fight, and we’ll use them and other key factors to determine the winner.

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What Are the Key Factors in a Fight Between a Leopard and a Gorilla?

What Do Leopards Eat? — Leopards are known for being stealthy, extremely powerful cats.

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The key factors in a fight between a leopard and a gorilla will be their physical traits and fighting capabilities. Both animals are unique in these respects, so we’ll take a look at several facets of each creature and see which of them has the most advantages over the other.

Leopard vs Gorilla: Size

Gorillas are larger than leopards in every measure but length. Leopards usually grow about a little over 2 feet in height, grow 6.2 feet long, and 198lbs in weight. Gorillas can grow 5.1 feet high, about 5 feet long, and weigh up to 440lbs. They are well-known known for being powerful, muscular creatures.

Gorillas have the size advantage in this fight.

Leopard vs Gorilla: Speed and Movement

Leopards are much faster than gorillas. Gorillas implement a semi-bipedal movement where they use their arms to propel them forward and their legs to lunge. This “knucklewalking” technique allows them to move at a swift 25 mph over short distances.

Leopards use a galloping sprint that helps them move at between 35 and 40 mph at top speed. They’re just as fast as most lions, but not as fast as cheetahs.

Leopards have the speed advantage.

Leopard vs Gorilla: Senses

Gorillas are not apex predators. In fact, they’re mostly herbivorous and mostly eat insects to make them omnivorous. Their senses are comparable to humans in sight and hearing, but they have a better sense of smell.

Leopards are great predators with finely tuned senses. They have great vision during the day and amazing vision at night. They have a very powerful sense of smell, similar to most big cats. Their sense of hearing is said to be five times stronger than that of a human.

Leopards have an overabundance of amazing senses that they can use to find their prey, and that is precisely how they will instigate fights with gorillas.

Leopards have a serious sensory advantage against gorillas.

Leopard vs Gorilla: Physical Defenses

Gorillas have poor physical defenses. They are made of dense muscles, but they only have their threat display and speed to keep them safe as individuals. Of course, living in a group offers some protection.

Leopards’ defenses are more pragmatic. They have the speed that allows them to outrun just about every predator on the continent, save for the cheetah and perhaps the lion. They are expert climbers and are hard to spot in the trees.

On average, leopards have better defenses than gorillas.

Leopard vs Gorilla: Combat Skills

Gorillas are not known for their combat skills since they don’t exactly go out of their way to get in fights. However, they are vicious when they need to be. Gorillas will charge their foe, use their amazing strength to grab hold of them, beat them, bite them, and potentially break and tear their limbs. Their attacks are fast and brutal.

Leopards are cunning fighters that wait to ambush their foes until they are very close to them. That way, they don’t have to waste a lot of energy chasing them. By making sure they get close to their prey, they increase their chances of a successful hunt.

When leopards get close to their prey, they usually jump onto them, dig in with their claws, and deliver a powerful bite to the head or neck of the prey, killing it. In that sense, leopards are finely tuned killing machines.

Who Would Win in a Fight Between a Leopard and a Gorilla?

leopard teeth — The speed and power of a leopard are hard for a gorilla to match.

A leopard would win a fight against a gorilla. Leopards are one of the few successful predators of gorillas. They are too fast and vicious for a strong gorilla to fight off, especially considering they like to ambush gorillas in their nests.

One way that the fight would occur would be an ambush situation. If that happened, the gorilla would die very quickly with the leopard swooping in and attacking its head and neck.

The two creatures could meet on equal footing. In that case, the gorilla would probably charge to the leopard. The gorilla might kill the leopard if it considers it a true threat and follows through instead of bluff charging. If it gets its hands on a limb or lands a bite on the leopard’s head, the fight could get messy.

However, the more likely outcome is that it would try to scare away the big cat, and that’s when the leopard would pounce. The leopard would sink its claws and teeth into the gorilla. They would fight and tumble around, trading blows. Using its long claws and teeth, the leopard has the tools to finish the job.

At the end of the clash, though, the leopard would still be standing, but it would probably be hurt.

About the Author

Kyle Glatz

I am a freelancer specializing in SEO content writing. I write in a variety of niches such as video games, animals, and managed service providers. I’ve been writing full-time since 2018, so I’ve been doing remote work before it was cool. When I’m not working, I can be found reading, trying to catch up on my tv show backlog, playing video games, and starting stories that I’ll never finish.