Posted on 12/01/2013 12:34:56 PM PST by DogByte6RER
What Would Happen If a Lion Fought a Tiger?
We've always been speculating about battles between superheroes. We know the outcome of octopus versus shark. At last we have an expert speculating on lion versus tiger. Which one would win?
Since there's a good chance you've spent the weekend slowly tearing apart a ritualistically slaughtered bird, before going out and trampling your fellow citizens in arenas, you probably won't be too horrified by speculating on the outcome of animal fights. After all, the fights in question are, for the most part, in the past. Romans used to pit lions against tigers for entertainment. Today, they are kept apart, but there have been a few incidents during which lions and tigers in zoos or private collections have accidentally been put in the same room.
While we don't approve of fighting animals for sport, there's a difference between approval and curiosity. Thankfully there are experts who can answer the question. Craig Saffoe, a curator of big cats, told Life's Little Mysteries that he would bet on the tiger. Larger tigers weigh in at about the same weight of lions, but don't have the same social contact. They're less likely to engage in play-fighting, or sparring, and more likely to kill.
It looks like history backs him up, with historical accounts of animal fighting recording that the tiger came out on top. Still, in modern encounters, there was some variation based on the temperament and experience of each of the animals.
(Excerpt) Read more at io9.com ...
I will always remember looking at a tiger in the Central Park Zoo, it was staring at me with a very intent look which clearly conveyed to me “if these bars were not here, I would eat you right now”; I never really saw a lion look at me that way, they generally seem bored in a very catly way.
So yeah, I’d have to bet on the tiger.
What about against a Puma? Or a Panther?
Hmmmmmmm, I'd pick a buckeye over a wolverine......
India has both tigers and lions, albeit separated now but not so a few decades ago.
From the same website:
This is by far the most requested fight in WAFC history and features arguably the two most lethal big predators on the planet.
The Siberian Tiger is the largest Big Cat on Earth, growing up to 11 ft long and up to 850 lbs. It preys on huge animals such as deer, boar, and Elk. Siberian Tigers have even been known to prey on Brown bear species in Asia. Although this cat is big it still has incredible quickness. It’s preferred method of killing is, like most big cats, a bite to the throat of its victim.
The Grizzly Bear has incredible strength, as mentioned in previous fights on WAFC. It also has a size advantage,growing up to and beyond 1000lbs. The largest Grizzlies can stand up to 8 ft tall.
Its tough for me to choose a victor here out of two of my favorite predators. I think the fight would go pretty quick once the two beasts got into it.
The tiger would most likely be first to act trying to pounce at the Bear’s throat. The Bear could counter with a downward swat, as it is known to do, that could crush the cat’s skull.
However I think more often than not the Tiger would win this fight. With its size and speed, the momentum of a dash and pounce would be enough to knock the bear backwards before a blow to the neck kills it. Tiger wins!
...or a Mountain Lion, or a Catamount, or a Cougar?
News to me, but thanks.
In any event, the Tarzan movies supposedly took place in Africa and I would think that there’s no way that tigers would have been there.
Me too, but not a Spartan though...
Looking forward to next weekend. U of M surprised me yesterday, and the buckwheats as well.......
Kudos to coach Hoke for going for 2! That took guts and the willingness to take the heat if it failed......
I'm not making any predictions on next weekend since I'm ALWAYS wrong..........
Tigers can weigh upwards of 800 lbs, whereas lions generally weigh 400-500 lbs.
I think the tiger would take it in most instances.
Last time the tussled the result was a Liger.
If a lion fought a tiger, the honey badger would win.
Last time they tussled the result was a Liger.
Tigers are more used to fighting in jungles than open plains, in a dense vegetation area the lion might not even know where it is coming from.
Tarzan grew up in the dense jungles of the veldt?
"And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the opened door - the lion, or the tiger?"
There were Asiatic lions in Syria, Jordan areas before they got killed off .
wiki= The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica), also known as the Indian lion, is a lion subspecies that exists as a single isolated population in India’s Gujarat State. It is listed as Endangered by IUCN based on the small population size.[1] The lion population has steadily increased in Gir Forest National Park, more than doubling from a low of 180 individuals in 1974 to a level of 411 individuals consisting of 97 adult males, 162 adult females, 75 sub-adults, and 77 cubs as of April 2010.[3]
The Asiatic lion was first described by the Austrian zoologist Johann N. Meyer under the trinomen Felis leo persicus.[4] It is one of the five big cats found in India, apart from Bengal tiger, Indian leopard, snow leopard and clouded leopard.[5] It formerly occurred in Persia, Mesopotamia, Baluchistan, from Sind in the west to Bengal in the east, and from Rampur and Rohilkund in the north to Nerbudda in the south. It differs from the African lion by less inflated auditory bullae, a larger tail tuft and a less developed mane.[6]
I wonder what would happen if a domesticated cat would cross path with a tiger. Would the tiger know that the cat would be a distant relative?
Da Bears, yep. Bears can stand up, but they never look up.
Like dogs. Ever see a dog look up? A bulldog beats a bull.
Yeah, they fought bears too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.