Weighing in at a staggering 14,000 pounds, the African elephant is the largest land animal on Earth and a living battering ram wrapped in two-inch-thick hide. Capable of flipping cars and toppling trees on a whim, its intelligence rivals that of primates—complete with mourning rituals and long-term memory. Cross one and it will remember your face forever.

The undisputed king of the African savanna, the lion commands respect with a bone-crushing bite force and claws that can shred steel-drum lids. Hunting in coordinated prides, a male lion's 550-pound frame and thunderous roar can be heard from five miles away. Few animals dare challenge this apex predator on its home turf.