Bear or lion, who do you like better? Ussuri tiger versus brown bear, who is the king? Who weighs more, a tiger or a bear?

There are two predators in nature with which people are compared, saying that they are powerful, like a lion or a bear. These are magnificent animals that are kings of their habitats. In fact, no one knows who is stronger - a bear or a lion. One rules in taiga forests, the second in savannas, and their meeting in wildlife extremely unlikely, even impossible. Let's look at these animals separately and figure out which of them is endowed with greater physical strength.

Where does the brown bear live?

In Russia, this bear is distributed in almost all forests. They live in dense thickets with windbreaks, deciduous trees and many bushes. It can also go out into the tundra and thrive in high mountain forests.

A meeting between a person and a bear is possible; many of them end in disaster for the bear if it encounters a hunter. If an ordinary mushroom picker or forester comes into the sight of the owner of these places, then there is an opportunity to disperse peacefully, without bloodshed. Under no circumstances should you run from the beast, it will still be faster, but it is better to quietly move back, backing away and not turning away from the predator.

When you find yourself in places where brown bears live, you should talk loudly and make noise. Although these are large animals, they are very cautious, and the owner of the forest would prefer to avoid meeting people.

Lion habitats

Lions are distributed on two continents: Africa and the Asian part of Eurasia. Many prides live in India (Gir forest), and in Africa they are found mainly in the southwest. They inhabit savannas, sometimes venturing into forests or dense bushes. Previously, these big cats lived almost throughout the entire territory of our planet, but people exterminated them and contributed to extinction in certain areas due to environmental disturbances.

When meeting a person, a lion will show curiosity rather than aggression. People are not of interest to this cat as food. If the person himself begins to throw different things and wave his arms, then the lion, of course, will defend himself, and the instigator of the quarrel will not be able to escape. In most cases, a lion will avoid getting to know a person closely and, sensing his scent from afar, will disappear in another direction.

Brown bear mass

The largest representatives of this species of bear live in the territories of Kamchatka and Alaska. In the autumn, adults can weigh more than half a ton, and there are also bears that reach eight hundred kilograms. IN middle lane our country is inhabited by more than small predators, they reach a weight of 80 to 180 kilograms.

If the bear stands in full height, it will be much higher big man. Its size can be more than two meters. His height at the withers, when he stands on all four legs, will be about a meter.

The largest inhabitant is considered Berlin Zoo, which was brought from Kodiak. Weight brown bear more than 1130 kilograms! This giant feels great outside of freedom, gets along well with zoo workers, and gladly shows off his beautiful appearance to visitors.

Lion sizes

An adult lion rarely weighs more than two hundred and fifty kilograms. Males of these cats are 20% larger than females. The body length, not including the tail, reaches three meters; it is very rare to come across lions whose size is less than two and a half meters.

But height and weight are not the main indicators of who is stronger - a bear or a lion. It is necessary to compare the force of their blow, the size of their claws and teeth.

Bear's punching power

An adult bear is very strong. He can easily break the backbone of a large cow with a blow of one paw, and tear it to shreds with non-retractable claws. The bear's claws do not retract, so it will not be possible to hide from them if he suddenly decides to wave his paw. If you measure the impact force in kilograms, you will be surprised, it averages one and a half tons! With one blow, this beast can throw a large animal weighing one hundred and fifty kilograms fifteen meters away. The bear prefers to “hugg” its prey until its bones crunch. No one has ever survived such a compression.

The bear's claws are long and powerful. In an adult male they can be from eight to ten centimeters. With these “knives” an angry predator can tear off the bark from a two-hundred-year-old tree or break dry things into splinters.

The bear's teeth are also huge, the fangs are ten centimeters long, but the animal uses them mainly for tearing food apart, and not for catching it. A bear can bite, its jaws clenching with a force of eighty atmospheres, which is much stronger than that of the most vicious fighting dog.

Lion's punching power

So who is stronger - a bear or a lion? We have looked at the strength of the bear, now let's study the lion.

If a cat with a mane wants to hit you with its paw, then at least half a ton of weight will fall on you. This would be enough to break the legs of a buffalo or the back of an antelope.

The lion's claws are shorter than those of the bear; they reach seven centimeters in length. This weapon is very dangerous and is the main thing for capturing the victim, but not for killing him. With its claws, the lion firmly holds future food or fights with enemies; they are retracted and released at his will.

Its eight-centimeter sharp teeth help the lion kill its prey. It is impossible to free yourself from the grip of a huge cat, as the jaws are compressed with a force of 160 atmospheres! This is twice the force of a bear's teeth.

Lion and bear: who is faster?

In order to compare the strength of predators, you will need knowledge of the speed limits of the competitors.

Lions in the wild can reach speeds of up to eighty kilometers per hour. They easily catch nimble antelopes, maneuvering remarkably well. Flexible body and a long tail help to jump up to three meters, which is an important skill in hunting.

Also, lions are not the toughest of animals. They have a very small heart compared to their body weight and size, so they cannot for a long time hold high speed. It is not uncommon to see an adult lion walking slowly after a failed hunt. Other cats that do not catch the prey the first time try again immediately. And a lion needs to rest in order to regain strength, even if the prey is very close.

Bears, unlike a lion, are not so fast, but still do not confirm the prevailing opinion about their slowness. The heavy predator reaches speeds of up to fifty-five kilometers per hour, and can maintain it for a long time. Bears, although clumsy, are very stubborn. If he has identified a victim, then he will chase it for several kilometers over a long period of time. That is why, when meeting the brown owner of the forest, do not attempt to escape. The bear will not stop, and you will get tired much faster than him.

Let's sum it up

So, now you can compare who is stronger - a bear or a lion. We have learned everything we need about these animals and can draw conclusions on this basis.

The lion wins with its jaw strength and agility, but it is unlikely that it will have time to grab the bear with its teeth if they suddenly meet. A huge enemy can kill big cat with only one blow from his powerful paw, and he himself will withstand its attack. The skin of a bear is very difficult to penetrate even with the claws of a lion, so the king of the savannas will need to manage to hit him several times in the same place.

Bears are still clumsy animals, and if a lion rushes unexpectedly, then the clubfoot most likely will have no chance to avoid the cat’s jaws clenching on itself. But again he still has a chance of survival. We have already written about the deadly hugs of bears, so he will be able to crush a rushing cat.

If we compare physical strength, the bear wins. But we didn't consider mental capacity these predators. And in this regard, the lion will be the winner; he is much smarter than the taiga inhabitant.

This is a very ancient question - who is stronger - a tiger or a bear?

Even in those southern countries Where the person originally came from has not been precisely determined. The bear, even being not a very large animal, is always an extremely strong, inconvenient, and persistent fighter for any opponent. And not only the large brown bear, but also the Himalayan and small European brown bear are worthy opponents for any feline.

Basic information about opponents.

The Ussuri tiger is one of the largest cats today, second in size only to the Bengal tiger from Northern India. In historical retrospect, this subspecies could reach similar sizes to the Bengal tiger. The length of the largest individuals could reach 3.5 meters with tail, and weight - 300 kg or more!

In general, the Ussuri tiger can be described as a very well-armed and quite technical fighter. In terms of technicality, he is superior to his opponent - any bears. In terms of weapons - at least comparable. The bear's attack and fighting technique is quite monotonous. The tiger, to a certain extent, is a flexible fighter, because quite often he is simply physically weaker than his victims, and cannot, stupidly, assemble them and break them.
The tiger deals with buffaloes, at least evolutionarily designed for this. The Tiger was created as an ideal compromise between speed and strength. Being physically weaker than some of his victims, he can still kill them. The tiger has a phenomenal reaction, excellent coordination, and lethal weapons (fangs up to 8 cm, and claws up to 10 cm - larger and sharper than those of a lion).
His goal is not to overcome the victim, not to fight with him, but immediately to KILL.
How exactly does a tiger kill its prey? There are rumors about the monstrous power of the tiger's paw strike. And, indeed, with one blow, a tiger can crush a person’s skull. But, when attacking larger prey, the paw strike is no longer effective. With a blow of its paw, a tiger can kill mainly small prey, such as a baby deer or a hare. Sometimes, it can break the back of a larger animal, for example, an adult deer, but, more often than not, when attacking prey comparable in weight to itself, the tiger cannot rely on a blow from its paw. This is a very unreliable weapon. If he hits the ribs instead of the spine, the deer will run away. Therefore, instead of hitting with his paws, he uses grabbing. He grabs the prey with them, and then bites the scruff of the neck, biting through the spine, and spinal cord. Thus, a tiger can kill prey the size of an axis deer, for example, or a sika deer. Usually this is the most big catch in a tiger's diet. But, evolutionarily, the tiger is designed for an even greater load. The usual maximum for a tiger is a prey the size of an ox or buffalo. You can’t break the spine of such prey with a blow, and you can’t even bite through it. The tiger kills its prey, which is the size of a bull, by strangulation. Strangulation is actually the only chance to kill such prey. A tiger can strangle a bull by grabbing its throat or nose. Moreover, if he grabs the throat, the victim quickly stops resisting, since the fangs compress her trachea, and large blood vessels enter the toothless space between the fangs and premolars, and are pinched there, stopping the supply of blood to the brain.
A fairly common myth says that a tiger never kills adult buffaloes and gaurs. No, that's not true. The tiger is capable of doing this, and really kills big bulls. Sometimes, while showing technical skill, for example, sometimes they pre-cut large tendons on the legs of ungulates with their claws. A similar case was described by J. Corbett. By the way, quite a significant case

"In early March, a tiger killed a full-grown buffalo. I was in the foothills when the dying lowing of the buffalo and the furious growl of the tiger echoed through the forest. I determined that the sounds came from a ravine about six hundred yards away. The walking was difficult, over steep rocks and thorny bushes. When I climbed a steep cliff overlooking the ravine, the buffalo's struggle for life was over, but there was no sign of the tiger. At dawn the next day I again visited the ravine and found the buffalo in the same place. Soft ground , trampled with traces of hooves and tiger paws, showed that the struggle was desperate. Only after the buffalo’s Achilles tendons were bitten, the tiger knocked him down; the struggle continued for ten to fifteen minutes. The tiger’s tracks led through the ravine, and, walking along them ", I found a long trail of blood on the rock, and another one a hundred yards from the fallen tree. The buffalo wounded the tiger in the head with its horns, and these injuries were enough for the tiger to completely lose interest in the prey, and he did not return to it." (C) Jim Corbett

As you can see, the tiger is a very effective killer of large and strong prey. It is very important for a tiger to perform, so to speak, a perfect kill - instantaneous and with minimal losses to itself. And in this case, as we see, even being the winner, the tiger left the defeated prey because it was wounded. Any strong resistance from the prey is partly a failure of the tiger's plan. The tiger, as a fighter, seems to be distinguished by the fact that it can attack prey fiercely and fearlessly, but at the same time is prone to sudden loss of courage and panic. (1)

The Tiger has the advantage of his technical skills, speed, and weapons, but the disadvantage is his alarmism and not his inclination to engage in a long, tactical duel. If the prey resists, strikes and bites back, the tiger may retreat, even if it actually won on points. That's his nature. In the wild, a tiger is often a source of constant “upsets” - unexpected outcomes of a fight. He may kill an Indian elephant (3 tons), or he may lose to a Himalayan bear (up to 150 kg in weight). The fury of a tiger is enormous, but it can be turned into cowardice. Even the fact that young (up to 3 years old) tigers were previously caught almost with bare hands, this tells us a lot - after all, no one would come up with the idea of ​​catching bears with their hands (even very young ones). The caught tiger often experienced such stress that it died in the first minutes.

In any case, the TIGER HAS PROBLEMS WITH ANY PREY THAT IS DIFFICULT TO KILL INSTANTLY.

Fights between tigers and large cleavers are very dramatic, often ending in the death of both animals.

The tiger's desire to instantly kill its prey often turns against it if the prey resists for a long time. At the same time, thanks to weapons, reaction, flexible strength, the tiger sometimes achieves brilliant success.

The largest recorded prey of a tiger was the Indian elephant. In this case, obviously, strangulation was useless, because it is impossible to grab an elephant’s throat. Many people doubt the reality of this incident (described by Kesri Singh), but, nevertheless, it does not go much beyond our ideas about tigers. The elephant is an animal quite sensitive to pain and blood loss. And he is virtually defenseless against the tiger, which, as described by Singh, jumped onto the elephant’s back and gnawed at it. That's all that was required of him - no tactics and no special resistance from the elephant. Even though the battle lasted all night, the tiger could even rest while hanging on the elephant. The elephant was killed, but to this day this incident remains an “upset” - the nonsense of the century. Obviously, the elephant's tusks and its trunk could do almost no harm to the tiger, and the tiger could only hang on the elephant and eat it. But if elephants are so defenseless, then why do tigas ALMOST NEVER kill them? Perhaps it is simple, very energy-consuming, because even killing this animal took the whole night. In the end, the tiger left, apparently as distraught as in many other cases described, although, in this case, it is unlikely that the elephant inflicted any wounds on it with its tusks or trunk. In another case, a tigress inflicted mortal wounds on an elephant by damaging its trunk with her claws.

But, on the other hand, this same tigress, will she even defeat the Himalayan bear? When will every bite of yours be answered with a bite, every blow with a blow?

If even an elephant, an animal undoubtedly stronger than a bear, can be defeated by a tiger, then maybe he can kill any bear?

How are things going with the bear himself?

The brown bear deservedly bears the title of Master of the taiga. No animal in most of its habitats can compare with it in strength. The tiger is having difficulty with the cleaver. But the bear quite confidently defeats him!

The Ussuri brown bear is a large species, but not the largest. On average, adult males weigh about 250 kg, which is noticeably more than the average weight of tigers. Some individuals can weigh 400 kg or more. If you believe some hunters, then in the Ussuri taiga there are giants weighing up to 800 kg. But so far no one has had to kill such people. We must take into account that, in any case, on average, Ussuri bear significantly smaller than the Kamchatka bear, and, of course, the giants from Kodiak Island.

The Ussuri brown bear is superior Amur tiger in mass, and is an animal much more powerfully built (per unit of length accounts for more weight). The back is much wider, the legs are longer, the body is like a barrel. The Ussuri bear has a noticeably smaller zygomatic width than a tiger, and smaller teeth, which means its bite is noticeably weaker.

But at the same time, the bear can be described as a very stubborn fighter. Unlike a tiger, he will not be afraid to fight an equal opponent, and is well adapted to this. A bear is an omnivorous animal and therefore is less “afraid” of being injured than a tiger.

A bear is also, strictly speaking, a coward, but a rational coward. He can crap from a shot, he can run away from huskies, flashing his fat butt, but in all this there is a sense of expediency (unlike running away from dead buffaloes). Behind the shot lies the hunter - deadly danger, he is also behind the dogs. It’s just that a tiger is prone to panic (even out of nowhere), and a bear simply values ​​its skin more than its reputation as the Master of the forest, and therefore can shamefully run away from huskies. The tiger, more often than not, tries to catch huskies, rather than incur a hunter's shot.(1)

By the way, according to hunters, a tiger is easier to kill than a bear or wild boar (but also much more dangerous than them).

Thus, the bear is not inclined to risk its skin, why in vain. But, in the event of a fight, he is ready for a LONG fight, and no cat has such endurance as to tire a bear!

There is an opinion (possibly subjective) that the bear has a higher will to win (Sysoev).

But these animals actually met in a fight, so what were the results?

There are results, but they don’t clarify the matter too much.

“It is known that out of 44 cases of collision between a tiger and a brown bear
(Kaplanov, 1948; Sysoev, 1950; Sysoev, 1960; Abramov, 1962; Bromley, 1965; Rakov, 1970;
Kucherenko, 1972; Gorokhov, 1973; Kostoglod, 1981; Khramtsov, 1993; our data) there was a tiger
the initiator 12 times, the bear - 8 times, in other cases the attacker was not identified. 50 %
cases ended in the death of the bear, 27.3% in the death of the tiger, and in 22.7% of cases the animals dispersed."

It would seem that the tiger wins more often, which means he is stronger. But, on the other hand, the tiger is active predator, and he is an aggressive, attacking side. At the same time, he has the advantage of choosing an opponent.

"In December 1959, on the Svetlaya River, a tiger killed
a large brown bear and lived near him for about 10 days until he ate him (Rakov, 1965)."

With the exception of one case (described by Rakov), a tiger has never been observed killing large brown bears.
However, " big bear" - the concept is very vague. It could be an animal weighing from 250 kg, that is, comparable to the weight of the tiger itself. However, most likely, it was meant that the bear was somewhat larger than the tiger in mass. But, in any case, the weight even approximately not indicated by the author. And this case can be attributed to the “upsets” of the century, along with the killing of an elephant in India.

This upset looks especially bad against the backdrop of more detailed cases of confrontation between large male tigers and female bears:

"In July 1997 in
river basin A swampy adult male tiger (M20), who attacked a female bear, fought with her, in
as a result, on a forest plot with an area of ​​10?2 m, the soil was loosened and most of the
bushes. In this place there were many tufts of bear fur, but there was also tiger fur. All
the battle zone with ground and trees spattered with blood was 30 m long. In another case (12
August 2001) a tiger, after being chased on a slope, attacked a female bear of 8-10 years of age
weighing 150-200 kg. The animals rolled down for several meters, clinging together. Knocked out at the scene of the fight
area 10?8 m. After the victory, the tiger moved 15 m to the side, where it lay down. Him
the wound was bleeding. Presumably, the bear had cubs that managed to escape." -//-

M 20 (Dima) is a large male tiger, weighing approximately 205 kg. As you can see, he had difficult fights with she-bears weighing a maximum of 200 kg. Even such animals, smaller than the tiger itself, managed to drag their feet and turn an instant kill into an endless fuss that so tired the tiger. At the same time, the fact that the bear did not kill the tiger is obvious - her grip with her jaws, claws, simply, her weapons were not physically enough for this. Thus, if a bear weighing 350-400 kg were in the mother bear’s place, would the tiger have a chance? Maybe, but only as an upset.

The larger the bear, the more difficult it is for the tiger to kill it. A bear is not an elephant. There are no places on his body where a tiger could grab onto and at the same time remain out of reach, therefore, in any case, the tactic of devouring him alive will not work with a bear. A bear is also not a buffalo, and he will not let you grab your throat so easily, covering it with his paws. And even if the tiger grabs it, the bear still has paws left to break its backbone.

A tiger is not an animal too large for a bear to break its spine.

The bear's paws, much more powerful than those of the tiger, are designed to break spines. He can break the back of an elk, or a wild boar, therefore - a good hit on the back from above, or a backbreaker in a fight - and there is no tiger. There is not enough strength in a tiger's body to withstand a bear on its feet. On its hind legs, the bear is in any case more stable.

The larger the bear, the more slim the tiger's chances. The neck of large individuals is well protected. Bears are a kind of Terminator of the animal world. Their neck is protected by very strong muscles and all the arteries and trachea lie very deep. In a fight, a tiger can easily break a fang in an attempt to get to the bear's trachea.

The bear has monotonous tactics. He smarter than a tiger, but much less technical. Ancient people used this. The bear, stupidly, rushes and crushes the victim under itself. It breaks the spine of an elk, and bites a walrus (in the case of a polar bear) in the scruff of the neck. And, the most interesting thing is that the tiger most likely will not resist this primitive tactic, based on strength and mass alone.

Simply because a long-term tactical duel with a bear is useless. He is more resistant to blood loss and pain shock than a tiger, his paws are more powerful, his bones are stronger.

The tiger's only chance is to KILL the bear ASAP! Yes, only the perfect murder... The only place is the throat. If the tiger managed to grab it and at the same time, widely enough, along the entire circumference, capturing both the arteries and squeezing, then the bear’s resistance would soon begin to fade away - the carotid artery would be compressed. But what are the chances of this? The bear actively resists and can grab the throat itself.

I believe that a tiger against a bear is stronger than a lion against a bear (2). Since fighting, building tactics against a bear is pointless! What is needed here is the ability to kill QUICKLY. Kill - and not drag your feet.

At the same time, if one can still imagine the victory of a tiger over a bear of equal weight, then the chances against the largest bears seem to be reduced to nothing. Will we take Kodiak, or Kamchatka giants, or grizzlies, or polar bear. The tiger's only chance is a bite in the throat, which seems illusory. You need to grab such a huge neck... And with such a difference in mass. The largest brown bears can reach a weight of more than 700 kg, and this mass, and their blunt strength and endurance, invulnerability, beats all the tiger's trump cards. A bear is not a buffalo, you can’t cut the tendons; If you're not an elephant, you can't eat him alive. Is it really possible to kill such a colossus in the first 5 minutes, if it’s with buffalos, then it’s not always possible?

On the one hand, I would like to say, yes, you can’t argue with logic. The tiger had problematic fights with she-bears weighing 200 kg and with Himalayan bears weighing 120-150 kg, what kind of Kodiaks would he like? But, on the other hand, the tiger is a constant source of upsets, and suddenly, maybe, he also has some chance? At least 1 in 100? Even against Kodiak! After all, in fact, bears are also mortal, and even the Terminator can be destroyed.

And then, who is the king of the Far Eastern taiga? Both animals are equally deserving of this title. But, it still seems to me that since bear blood is more often shed from tiger teeth than vice versa, then the tiger is the king of the Amur taiga. If we take into account the respect that the ancient peoples had for the tiger - the Golds and Udeges, as well as a peculiar symbol from stripes on his forehead, meaning "Wang" ("Chief") in Korean. In addition, it looks much more majestic. And the tiger’s manners are more neat and regal than those of the bear, which feasts on its cubs and shits itself from the smell of gunpowder.

Notes

(1) So, if you fantasize, the character, essence, of the tiger is somewhat reminiscent of Mike Tyson, who was prone to unexpected outbursts of both rage and panic, and sometimes lost his presence of mind if the opponent did not fall in the 1st round. However, this shortcoming of his was mostly corrected by Cus D Amato, but was released later. But that is another story.
The bear, as a fighter, to me personally, more closely resembles the rational and monotonous Vladimir Klitschko. His boring tactics ruined many of his opponents' sophisticated plans.
However, this does not mean that I believe that Tyson would have the same chances against Vladimir as a tiger against a bear!
Leo personally, as a fighter, reminds me of the calculating and phlegmatic Fedor Emelianenko, or Lennox Lewis - a Jamaican, very technical, but prone to leonine laziness. By the way, Lennox has a corresponding nickname - Leo.

(2) Perhaps a lion would have a better result against bears, since in ancient Rome The most spectacular fights were considered to be between lions and European brown bears, not between tigers and them. Both animals did not exhaust themselves immediately. Besides, being a tactician and having experience against small bears, who knows, maybe this genius of strategy would have found his key to Kodiak? But, to me personally, this seems doubtful for the above reasons.

Children's questions sometimes baffle even the most educated adults, and one of them is: who is stronger, a tiger or a bear? It is definitely difficult to answer, because in the wild these animals are rarely seen in fights, and besides, the outcome of the fight depends on many secondary factors, such as the age of the fighters, experience in battles and state of health. It is even more difficult to say who is stronger, a lion or a bear, because these animals are not found in the wild at all and live in different habitats. To get even a little closer to the answer, it is necessary to consider each type of animal and compare their abilities.

Tiger

Today, there are 6 subspecies of tigers living on the planet with a total number of 5000-6500 individuals. Easiest to meet bengal tiger , since it alone occupies almost half of the entire population. The historical habitat of big striped cats is Asia:

• Iran;
• Far East;
• China;
• India;
• Afghanistan.

Absolutely all tigers territorial predators leading a solitary lifestyle and fiercely protecting their hunting grounds from attacks by other mammals. The weight of an adult individual can reach 250 kg, while the tiger is very dexterous and fast, but this is not enough for a long fight or hunt. The predator's fatigue and fear of injury lead to the fact that the animal will not oppose the opponent if he gives such an opportunity.

a lion

These predators mainly live in Africa and India and are the only representatives of felines living in prides. Lions are also not hardy, like tigers, so after each attack they need a long rest. The weight of males is 20% greater than that of females and reaches the same 250 kg. The main weapon of felines are their sharp claws and teeth, capable of compressing up to 160 atmospheres. If a lion or tiger clings to the victim, it will be almost impossible to free itself.

Bear

The main strength of a bear is its endurance and stubbornness. If he has identified a victim for himself, he will chase it for several kilometers at a speed of up to 50 km/h. The owners of the taiga are skilled swimmers and one of the largest predators on the planet. The weight of a brown male can reach 200-250 kg, despite the fact that its thick skin is very difficult to penetrate. Today brown bears are common:

• in Siberia;
• a little in China;
• North America.

The animals are solitary and omnivorous, which allows them not to waste time and energy on hunting, but to eat calmly plant foods. This gives brown an advantage in that that, if necessary, to heal wounds after a fight, you can safely eat berries.

Who is stronger: tiger and bear

A bear and a tiger are more likely to meet in nature, since striped cats are widespread in the same places as clubfoot cats (meaning Amur tigers), so their possible fight should be considered first.

The main prey of the striped taiga hunter are wild boars and wapiti, but having successfully chosen the size of a small clubfooted tiger, it is capable of attacking a bear. Small females or cubs may well be part of a cat’s diet, which cannot be said about large representatives of the species.

The bear itself is rare attacks others, but is capable of breaking the spine of a cow or elk with one blow, so he cannot be considered a bad fighter. In addition, its claws are not retractable and are much larger than those of a tiger. The striped one will not be able to pierce the thick skin of the furry one with its claws and the bet on victory will be only due to its dexterity and sharp teeth.

If we take into account other, larger bears, for example, white, then the outcome will be obvious. The polar bear today is the most large predators. Its weight can reach a whole ton, and its impact force is twice that of any brown bear. A cat simply cannot significantly injure a white one through its thick skin, and he, in turn, can send a tiger to the next world with one blow. If we consider the fight of a tiger against an ordinary brown one, then out of 10 fights the cat will win in 6, but much depends on secondary circumstances.

Who is stronger: lion and bear

Leo build in its own way it is not very different from a tiger, but if you consider that they hunt in prides, then the numerical superiority of cats will clearly not be on the side of the bear. If the king of beasts opposes the brown one alone, then the circumstances of the meeting will be decisive for the battle. Definitely, if you take into account only strength, the bear will win, but if you take into account the dexterity and cunning of cats during the hunt, then the lion has every chance of emerging victorious.

Because bear skin is impenetrable to claws predatory cats, then the lion will have to hit the same place several times, and this will tire him very much and, possibly, force him to give up his position.

Conclusion

Say exactly who will win in an unequal fight between two completely different opponents, it is impossible. Bears are very strong and resilient, and cats are dexterous and smart. These qualities give them their superiority over their opponents and make them the real masters of their habitats. Practical examples There are simply no such fights, and people only have to guess about their outcomes.

For many years, researchers have been trying to figure out who is stronger - a bear or a tiger? This question arose quite a long time ago and, despite the fact that these animals are rarely found in nature, there are known cases when fights broke out between them. It was not always possible to observe a clear victory of one of the predators. Some fights ended in the flight of the tiger, others in the defeat of the bear. But in order to understand this issue in more detail, it is necessary to take a closer look at each predator.

About Ussuri tigers

In order to understand who is stronger - a bear or a tiger, it is necessary to consider the characteristics of each of them. We'll start with a representative of the felines. The main feature of tigers of this species is that they never pursue the goal of immobilizing or injuring their prey. - an animal that tries to kill its future food with the first blow. Although his claws are shorter than those of a bear, they are very sharp, and the animal’s fangs are capable of tearing apart a victim in an instant. When hunting a small deer, one blow to the spine with your paw is enough. But in most cases, the tiger hunts larger game, and in this case he does not rely on luck, but acts radically. It wraps its two paws around its prey and bites the underneck. It also bites through the spine, after which the victim cannot offer any resistance. However, the description of the tiger does not end there, and now we will learn something more interesting.

The Perfect Big Game Killer

We can speak with great confidence about such advantages of tigers as agility and speed. This predator tries to win the fight with one blow. The biggest prey of the Ussuri tiger is the buffalo or bull. It happens that it is not possible to bite through the spinal cord, and then the hunter tries to strangle his prey. Cases have been repeatedly observed when a tiger first tears the tendons with its paw so that the prey does not run far, and then proceeds to strangle the victim. However, problems often arise in the process. However, the tiger is an animal created for lightning-fast and cunning kills. These predators cannot stand long battles with the enemy. It's no secret that tigers are prone to panic, especially if something doesn't go according to plan. It often happens that the animal simply runs away even after it has wounded its victim.

Description of the tiger in detail

It's no secret that cats are considered ideal predators. Their diet consists of 100% animal meat. From this we can conclude that the only thing the tiger does is hunt. Almost every day an adult predator can go hunting and bring back prey. But there are also sad cases. For example, a fight with a large cleaver more than once ended in defeat for the feline. As a result of a bloody fight, both the wild boar and the tiger can die. The main disadvantage of these predators is that they are prone to panic during a fight, and nothing can be worse than this. The weight of a tiger often reaches 300 kilograms, which means that it is a very dangerous massive predator, but a long fight and retaliatory strikes from the prey can confuse it.

About brown bears

The bear received the title of owner of the taiga for a reason. Few people can fight on equal terms with a clubfoot. If a tiger sometimes has problems with a cleaver, then a wild boar does not pose much of a danger to a bear. Key Feature is that he is slow and lazy for the time being. Usually he leads such a lifestyle only because he needs to save precious fat. Usually the average bear is slightly larger in weight than a tiger, and the same applies to strength. It is worth noting that the brown bear is an omnivore. For this simple reason, the clubfoot is not as afraid of injury as the tiger. This is due to the fact that if something happens, he will be able to find prey that will not resist, and when he heals his wounds, he will return with renewed vigor. In the case of a tiger, any injury can be the last. It will be difficult to catch up with someone with a broken paw or damaged eyes.

What else is interesting about the owner of the forest?

We can say with great confidence that the clubfoot is very well adapted to a long fight. He is a very stubborn fighter, so he will stand to the last, unlike almost any tiger. Although there are cases where the persistence of cats did its job. In principle, tigers are very unpredictable; they can first run away, and then change their minds and return. Here you can find slight similarities with domestic cats, whose behavior sometimes defies explanation.

We have already figured out what the brown bear eats, and you know that it is omnivorous. For this simple reason, this animal is less aggressive. The exception is a female with offspring. In this case, her rage will be higher than any hungry cat, but not a cat with kittens. But fights between such females have not been recorded. By and large, the mobility of a bear is somewhat lower than that of an adult cat, however, it is many times more resilient.

Who is stronger - a bear or a tiger: statistics

According to hunters, a tiger is easier to kill. However, this animal is many times more dangerous than the same bear or cleaver. If the latter run away when they sense danger, especially if they hear the sound of a shot, then it is difficult to predict the tiger’s reaction. It is likely that he will attack the hunter. To date, 44 cases of bear-tiger collisions have been recorded. In 50% of cases the bear died. About 27% of fights ended in the death of the tiger, and in 23% the feline ran away from the battlefield. Another interesting point is that 12 fights were initiated by the tiger, and the bear – 8. It is not clear who was the aggressor in the remaining cases. From the statistics it is clear that the tiger is somewhat stronger; it also initiates conflict more often and suddenly attacks. If the fight drags on, the cat either dies or leaves the fight. But if a tiger can escape from the battlefield, then a bear cannot, since the speed of cats is somewhat higher. It is also interesting that it is the tiger who chooses its victim, since it is the aggressor. It is unlikely that he will choose a brown bear, which significantly exceeds him in mass.

Several fights in detail

Around 2009, a fight was recorded between a tiger weighing approximately 205 kilograms and a young female bear weighing 200 kg. According to an eyewitness, the instant killing did not work out, which, in fact, tired the predator. But the bear could not kill the tiger. It is quite possible that there were not enough claws and teeth. As a result, the animals dispersed.

In 1997, there was a fight between a female bear, who was giving birth, and a tiger. The latter was the initiator. As a result of falling from a small slope, the animals grappled and flew several meters down. A few minutes later, the tiger won the fight, but received a serious wound, so he was forced to lie down nearby. The cubs managed to escape during the fight.

From all of the above, we can conclude that the outcome of the battle largely depends on what kind of victim the tiger chooses. The characteristics of potential prey are always inferior to those of the predator. This is due to the fact that if you come across a very large bear, it will be very difficult to defeat it.

Educational facts

In most cases, the tiger's failure in the first attack leads to its defeat. More than more bear, the more difficult it is to defeat him. This is due to the fact that he is stable, hardy, and there are no places on his body where he could cling to with impunity. Moreover, every tiger strike ends with him receiving a strike in return. Of course, there are so-called “upsets” - exceptions to the rules. So, according to these very exceptions, big tigers can even defeat Kodiaks, giant bears. However, there are no reported cases of this yet. The bear has very monotonous tactics; it always tries to crush the victim under itself, and then breaks its spine. In some cases it bites the scruff of the neck.

Conclusion

We tried to figure out who is stronger - a bear or a tiger? According to statistics, the feline representative is in the lead. This may be due to several factors. If it is not possible to quickly kill the prey, the predator can always retreat. The tiger rightfully deserves the title of king of the Far Eastern taiga. Among the ancient peoples, this beast aroused special respect, since it was very difficult to hit. Although there have been cases where young tigers were caught with bare hands, and this is due to their habit of panicking. In addition, felines have more regal manners. They often attack even when there is no chance of victory. Perhaps what the brown bear eats also plays a role in the outcome of the battles. If he hunted day after day, he could more effectively repel the attacks of predatory cats. In the meantime, there is no clear answer to the question of who is stronger - a bear or a tiger.

Although these predators do not always live in the same territory, it is still interesting what will happen if they meet? Who will win the fight? This article will discuss which of these predators - a bear, a tiger or a lion - has more strength. If this question has always interested you, then below you will find the long-awaited answer.

Polar bear and Amur tiger

First, let's look at the pair of the strongest - the polar bear versus the Amur tiger. Benefits of a polar bear visible to the naked eye. It is strong and very large; in addition, it has a strong impact of about 1.5 tons, this indicates good muscle mass. He also has quickness and sharpness of impact. The average weight reaches 450 kg, it is twice heavier than a tiger. The white strongman has a height at the withers of 130 -150 cm, which is slightly more than the Amur tiger, which has an average height of 120 cm.

• Scientists are confident that the force of the blow possessed by the clubfoot is capable of breaking the tiger’s back, causing it to instantly lose its life.

Everything is clear with large specimens of clubfoot, but what about their less powerful brothers? Perhaps not everything is so obvious here.

Brown bear versus Ussuri tiger

According to statistics kept by zoologists, and 44 cases of collisions are known tiger with a brown bear: half of them ended in the defeat of the bear, 27.3% - in the death of the tiger, and 22.7% - the predators dispersed. These data indicate that the tiger is stronger than the bear.

But upon careful study of the relationships between these animals, it becomes clear to scientists that brown beast behaves more aggressively, especially during periods of lack of food. And the striped one tries to attack small individuals. The tigress enters into a fight with any clubfoot and sacrifices herself to protect her cubs.

There is a described case of a fight between a large tiger and a she-bear.

The tiger attacked a ten-year-old female bear weighing about 180 kg. At the site of the fight, an area of ​​8 meters was formed. After the victory, the tiger stepped aside 15 meters to catch its breath. A wound on his body was bleeding.

As you can see, a large male weighing about 205 kg had a difficult fight with a female bear, whose weight was no more than 200 kg. Even a victim smaller than himself could turn an instant kill into a long struggle, which became so tiresome for him. Thus, if in the place of the bear there was a large male weighing about 380 kg, it is unlikely that he would become a victim.

The larger the clubfoot, the the tiger has a lower chance of winning. This is not an elephant; there are no places on its body that, by clinging to which the tiger itself could remain out of reach. Therefore, with a bear, the tactic of eating him alive is doomed to fail. He is not a buffalo to just let him grab his throat. Even if we manage to do this, the bear will still have free paws, just enough to break the tiger’s back. A tiger is not too large an animal to fail to break its spine.

The paws of the clubfoot seem to be created to break ridges. He is able to break the spine of an elk, a wild boar, thus a strong blow to the back from above, as well as a headlock in a duel - and there is no tiger. He is not able to stand against him on his legs, they do not have enough strength; standing on his hind legs, the bear is still more stable.

Clubfoot uses monotonous tactics. Although he is smarter than a tiger, he does not have technology. Our ancestors used this. The bear simply rushes and crushes the victim's body under itself (just like a sumo wrestler). And most likely, the opponent will not be able to resist such primitive tactics, based only on mass and strength. Because a long tactical duel with a bear is a waste of time. A clubfoot is more resistant to painful shock and blood loss, its paws are more powerful, and its bones are stronger.

The only chance for success is quick killer tactics. Weak spot the enemy's throat. If the striped one could grab it around its entire circumference, grabbing the arteries and squeezing, then the bear’s resistance would soon come to naught, because the carotid artery was compressed. But will it be possible to pull this off? It is necessary to grasp this powerful neck, and in large representatives it has excellent protection in the form of muscles that protect the trachea and arteries, located very deep. The big guy puts up active resistance and can grab him by the throat. Thus, whatever one may say, such fights can often end not in favor of the tiger.

• A bite in the throat, as the only chance to resist the enemy, is illusory for a tiger.

Himalayan bear vs tiger

The famous naturalist Jim Corbett claims that he has more than once seen Himalayan bears confidently and fearlessly chasing away tigers at the most inopportune moment, when they were having a nice lunch. Himalayan bear has courage and aggressive disposition : sometimes he attacks tigers, which larger brown bears avoid. However, unpredictable endings also happen when two formidable predators come into conflict.

Well anyway who is stronger, clubfoot or striped? With equal sizes, these animals are almost equal in strength. But there are nuances:

One can imagine equal wrestling of the same weight category, which ends with the victory of the feline representative, but his chances are that he will meet largest representatives of this species are negligible. Be it Kodiak, Kamchatka giant, grizzly or white. Even brown individuals can reach a weight of more than 700 kg. Their mass, endurance, and blunt force beat all the opponent’s trump cards. The clubfoot is not a buffalo that can be killed by cutting its tendons. Is it really possible to kill a giant in the first 5 minutes, if it is not always possible to kill a buffalo?

Who is stronger, a lion or a bear?

A tiger-bear duel is stronger than a lion-bear. After all, fighting, building tactics against a bear, does not make sense. Here requires the ability to kill quickly. Perhaps the lion would have distinguished himself and best result, because in ancient Rome the most spectacular was considered the confrontation between a lion and a European brown bear, and not a tiger with him. Both animals did not get tired right away. Being a tactician and a genius of strategy, as well as having experience in battles with small individuals, maybe the lion would find an approach to Kodiak? This is unlikely to happen for the reasons described above.