Top 5 Facts: Largest animals

African elephant, size: 5,400kg
The largest land animal currently living. Elephants are large enough to be safe from all predators but must spend 16 hours a day eating.

Polar bear, size: 600kg
The largest bear and the largest land carnivore, although it spends much of its time in the sea. Its bite can crush a seal skull.

Mountain gorilla, size: 200kg
The largest primate. Although they have powerful canine teeth, they are herbivores with a diet that includes celery, bamboo and stinging nettles.

Whale shark, size: 36,000 kg
The largest fish, whale sharks are filter feeders like the blue whale, but their food is even smaller than krill – microscopic plankton.

Blue whale, size: 180,000kg
The largest animal that has ever lived. Its upper lip bone is the largest bone in the animal kingdom ever discovered.