LION VERSUS TIGER
SARASJ MAJUMDER
The Siberian Tiger and the Bengal Tiger is indeed bigger than the African lion. Barbary Lions are considered largest lions. Almost surely a pure-bred specimen of Barbary Lion doesn’t exist anymore on Earth today. In the real, scientific world, the biggest lions currently roaming on Earth can be found in Africa, either in Ngorongoro crater (probably bigger framed) or in Okavango delta.
The mane of the lion offers a slight protection against a fight.
Tigers are indeed stronger than the lions. BBC has ranked the Tiger as the 8th strongest animal on the planet and the lion is not in the list.
The lion has greater stamina than the Tiger since it is evolved in the savannah.
The Tiger has greater agility than the lion as evidenced by its better tree climbing abilities. Hence it is a better grappler.
The Tiger has more explosive power than the lion as it has evolved differently in jungles to take down prey quickly and efficiently.
The Tiger has slightly larger canines with a bite force of 1050psi than the lions at 750psi. This is because of the Tiger’s superior strength translating into a higher bite force ratio.
The Lion is indeed the more experienced fighter compared to the Tiger.
Lion hunt in a group—but Tigers are solo hunters.
RESULT IF THERE IS A FIGHT : It depends on the individual Tiger and the Lion. Both are capable of killing each other as shown by instances in various past sources in history. But, result is 60-40 favoring Tigers
Truth is: Almost no scientific data are available on Barbary Lions, since mankind killed them into extinction before biologists could reliably seize them.
CASE STUDY:
The King of Baroda of India who famously arranged a tiger vs. lion fight in the late 19th century was Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, a progressive ruler known for modernizing Baroda, who set up this spectacle (possibly to prove the lion’s superiority as “King of Beasts”) but the tiger won, mauling the lion named Atlas, much to the King’s expense.
The venue was AMPHITHEATER of Baroda. Thousands of audiences were present.
Details of the Event:
Ruler: Sayajirao Gaekwad III of India.
Animals: A large 3 meter long Royal Bengal Tiger fought a Barbary Lion named Atlas (so named after the Atlas Mountains of North Africa).
Purpose: To decide which animal truly deserved the title of “King” of Big Cat Family. Lion has the title of “KING OF BEASTS” and to establish that the fight was arranged.
Selection: — He selected the strongest of each Species.
The two big cats engaged in a long series of vicious fighting, lashing out at each other with sharp teeth and claws. But eventually, it was the agile tiger that won, ending the lion’s life by pawing it repeatedly.
Outcome: The tiger ultimately killed the lion, with reports stating the Mr. Gaekwad lost a large sum (37,000 rupees) as the lion lost the battle, and died, despite the King favoring the lion.
In the aftermath, the ruler agreed to pay 37,000 rupees in honor of the striped cat’s ruthless strength. He also ordered to have Atlas’ body buried in royal fashion, and to give the tiger a “cage of honor” in the menagerie.
In those days, lots of such fights were arranged by ROYALS in India. But many cases, breed of the Lion used to be inferior.
Other Historical Accounts:
Circus Incidents: Jim Tully’s autobiography “Circus Parade” mentions an incident in a California circus where a tiger named Ben Royal killed a lion named Bad Bill in an unplanned fight.
Anecdotal Evidence: A former keeper at the Bronx Zoo reportedly observed a lion and tiger that grew up together, and claimed the tiger always won their skirmishes.
The 2004 Discovery Channel showed both the Animal Face-off and also created a program of comparing strengths and weaknesses of the two predators and finally a virtual computer stimulated battle between Bengal Tiger and a Lion ( the species was unknown).
I saw it.
It ended without any convincing result.
MODERN SCIENTIFIC UNDERSTANDING
Modern scientific consensus is based on studying the animals’ physical attributes and hunting behaviors in their natural habitats (which do not overlap in the wild). Generally, the consensus points to the tiger being physically stronger in a one-on-one encounter due to several factors:
Size and Muscle Mass: Tigers are typically larger and have greater overall muscle mass.
Fighting Style: Tigers have evolved as solitary hunters and are more adept at fighting on their hind legs, using both front paws to strike, while a lion typically stands on three paws and swats with one.
Bite Force: Tigers generally have a stronger bite force and a stronger jaw structure relative to their body mass.
While the debate over who would win is a popular topic, contemporary understanding relies on biological data and historical anecdotes rather than controlled, scientific experiments.
Logic, History, and Evidences favor ROYAL BENGAL TIGER as winner.
Siberian Amur Tigers are also as powerful as Royal Bengal Tigers.
Disclaimer: The data are from domains. I can’t certify their accuracy.
References: — Public Domains.
Book: Circus Parade Paperback – by Jim Tully (Author)||| Available in Amazon. I borrowed and read from British Library.
Images: — Google/ Respective domains.
