For many years, researchers have been trying to figure out who is stronger - a bear or a tiger? This question arose a long time ago and, despite the fact that these animals are not common in nature, there are cases when fights were tied between them. It was far from always possible to observe the clear victory of one of the predators. Some fights ended with the flight of the tiger, others with the defeat of the bear. But in order to deal with 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 will start with a feline representative. The main feature of this species of tigers is that they never aim to immobilize or injure a prey. The Ussuri tiger is an animal that tries to kill its future food from the first blow. His claws, although shorter than that of the bear, are very sharp, and the fangs of the beast can tear the victim in an instant. In the case of hunting for a small deer, one paw strike on the spine is enough. But in most cases, the tiger preys on larger game, and in this case it does not hope for luck, but acts radically. He grabs his victim with two paws and bites for the neck. It penetrates the spinal cord and the spine, after which the victim cannot show any resistance. However, the description of the tiger does not end there, and now we will find out something else interesting.
The perfect big booty killer
One can speak with great confidence about such advantages of tigers as agility and speed. This predator tries to win the fight with one hit. The largest prey of the Ussuri tiger is a buffalo or a 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 noticed when the tiger first tore the tendons with its paw so that the prey did not run far, and then proceeded to strangle the victim. However, problems often arise in the process. However, the tiger is an animal created for lightning and treacherous killings. These predators can not stand long fights with the enemy. It's no secret that tigers are prone to panic, especially if something went wrong. It often happens that the beast simply runs away even after he wounded his victim.
Details of the tiger
It's no secret that cats are considered ideal predators. Their diet consists of 100% meat of animal origin. From this we can conclude that the tiger is only engaged in what it hunts. Almost daily, an adult predator can go hunting and bring prey. But there are sad cases. For example, a fight with a large chopper more than once ended for a representative of a cat's defeat. As a result of a bloody fight, both a wild boar and a tiger can die. The main drawback of these predators is that they are prone to panic during the battle, but nothing could be worse. The weight of the tiger often reaches 300 kilograms, this suggests that it is a very dangerous massive predator, but a long fight and retaliatory strikes of the victim can confuse him.
About brown bears
The bear received the title of owner of the taiga for a reason. Few people will be able to compete on equal terms with the clubfoot. If a tiger sometimes has problems with a bill hooker, then a wild boar does not pose a great danger to a bear. A key feature of a brown bear is that it 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 than the tiger in weight, the same applies to strength. It is worth noting that the brown bear is an omnivore. For this simple reason, the toed is not as afraid of injuries as the tiger. This is due to the fact that in which case he will be able to find his prey, which will not resist, and when heals the wounds, he will return with renewed vigor. In the case of the tiger, any injury may be the last. It will be difficult to catch someone with a broken paw or damaged eyes.
What else is the owner of the forest interesting for?
We can say with great confidence that the clubfoot is very well adapted for a long fight. He is a very stubborn fighter, so he will stand to the last, unlike almost any tiger. Although there are cases when the feline stubbornness did its job. In principle, tigers are very unpredictable, they can first escape, and then change their mind and come back. Here you can find a slight resemblance to domestic cats, whose behavior is sometimes unexplained.
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 the female with offspring. In this case, her rage will be higher than any hungry cat, but not cats with kittens. But there were no fights between such females. By and large, the mobility of the bear is slightly lower than that of an adult cat, however, it is several times more enduring.
Who is stronger - a bear or a tiger: statistics
According to hunters, the tiger is easier to slaughter. However, this beast is many times more dangerous than the same bear or billhook. If the latter, with a sense of danger, run away, especially if they hear the sound of a shot, then the tiger’s reaction is difficult to predict. It is likely that he will attack the hunter. To date, 44 bear and tiger collisions have been recorded. In 50% of cases, the bear died. About 27% of fights ended in the death of a tiger, and in 23% a feline representative ran away from the battlefield. Another interesting point is that 12 fights were initiated by the tiger, and the bear - 8. Who was the aggressor in other cases is not clear. The statistics show that the tiger is slightly stronger, it also often initiates conflict and suddenly attacks. If the fight drags on, then the cat either dies or leaves the fight. But if a tiger can escape from the battlefield, then there is no bear, since the speed of cats is somewhat higher. It is also interesting that the tiger chooses its victim, since it is an aggressor. It is unlikely that he will choose a brown bear, which is significantly superior in mass.
Several fights in detail
Around the year 2009, a case of a tiger fight was recorded, weighing about 205 kilograms, and a young bear - 200 kg. According to an eyewitness, there was no instant kill, which, in fact, weary the predator. But the bear also could not kill the tiger. It is possible that there were not enough claws and teeth. As a result, the animals dispersed.
In 1997, there was a fight between the dipper, which led the offspring, and the tiger. The latter was the initiator. As a result of a fall 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 had to lie down nearby. Bears managed to escape during the fight.
From the foregoing, we can conclude that the outcome of the battle largely depends on what kind of sacrifice the tiger chooses. Characteristics of potential prey are always inferior to those of a predator. This is due to the fact that if you get a very large bear, then defeating him will be very difficult.
Cognitive facts
In most cases, the failure of the tiger in the first attack leads to its defeat. Moreover, the larger the bear, the more difficult it is to defeat it. This is due to the fact that he is stable, hardy, and on his body there are no places where it would be possible to cling to impunity. Moreover, every blow of the tiger ends up in the fact that he receives a blow in response. Of course, there are so-called “upsets” - exceptions to the rules. So, according to these very exceptions, big tigers can defeat even Kodiak, giant bears. However, there are no registered cases so far. The bear has a very uniform tactic, he always tries to crush the victim for himself, and then breaks his spine. In some cases, bites behind 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 leads. This may be due to several factors. If it is not possible to quickly kill the victim, the predator can always retreat. The tiger rightfully deserves the title of king of the Far Eastern taiga. In ancient peoples, this beast aroused special respect, since it was very difficult to hit. Although there were cases when young tigers were caught with their bare hands, and the whole fault was their habit of panicking. In addition, feline manners are more regal. They often attack even when there is no chance of victory. Perhaps the outcome of the fighting also plays a role in what the brown bear eats. If he hunted day after day, he could more effectively repel the attacks of predatory cats. In the meantime, a definite answer to the question of who is stronger - a bear or a tiger does not exist.