Lion Vs Tiger: Who Do You Think Wins If They Get In A Fight?

When it comes to animals of the wild, lions and tigers are sure to be mentioned. Lion, in addition to being a powerful mythical character, is an animal whom most of the animals respect, thus earning him the title of the ‘the king of the jungle.’ Tiger on the other hand, is known for the strength in its paws and a lethal killer in the wild.But what happens when these two deadly beasts are pitted against each other?

Since ancient times

This battle of the two most dangerous animals of the wild is something which has piqued the interest of hunters, naturalists, poets and scientists since many centuries. Even today, their might is celebrated in popular culture and there have been numerous movies and shows where lions are portrayed as the ‘mightiest’ of all the animals in the jungle. After seeing all this collective agreement that if a lion and tiger were to fight, the lion is more likely to emerge on top. But the reality says something else.In Ancient Rome, lions and tigers were pitted against each other in arenas for the purpose of entertainment and betting. And it was found that most of the people placed their bets on tigers rather than lions!There was a tiger owned by the King of Oude who is said to have killed 30 lions in duel.

Why are tigers favoured?

For understanding the reason behind it, let’s look at their physical assets. 

1. Bite force: Tigers have higher average bite forces than lions. Their teeth are exceptionally strong, and they are the longest amongst all (measuring from 7.5 to 10 cm in length). 

2. Body Size: When it comes to body size, lions beat tigers. But as they say, physical strength is not the only factor which counts in a confrontation of two equally powerful species. 

3. Brain Size: Tigers have been found to have bigger brains than lions relative to their body size.

4. Nature: In any fight, this is the most crucial factor which makes a huge difference between win and loss. Lions are social species while a tiger is mostly a solitary being. Lions usually grow up in a ‘pride’ of almost 30 lions, where they play with other cubs and lionesses for passing their time. When a lion grows up, it is usually seen that it is the closely-knit community of the female lions in the pride which does the hunting. So a lion doesn’t get much chance to see what’s out there. Of the times when a lion goes out to hunt, it is usually accompanied by other lions. So it does not do any good to lions when it comes to handling sudden situations.

On the other hand, a tiger usually remains alone most of the time and interacts with the opposite sex for copulation. And since it remains alone for most of the time, it is better equipped to handle dangers and deal with them efficiently.

TIGER vs LION Real Fight video

Buffalo tries to fight off lions as they hunt her calf… only to watch her young devoured before her eyes

She blocked, she kicked, she fought.... but it was all for nothing.This is the heart-breaking moment a buffalo mother risked her life in a courageous attempt to rescue her calf from the jaws of lions.Sadly, she was outnumbered and overpowered, and no amount of self-sacrifice was enough to keep the lions away from her vulnerable baby.

The incredible series of pictures were taken by photographer Salome Hoogendijk, 30, who captured the brave mum trying to fight off the pride on the Duba Plains in Botswana. In the snaps, a lioness can first be seen pouncing on a lone calf.But maternal instinct kicks in and the buffalo mum immediately rushes to her young's side, putting her life on the line as she places her body between the lions and her baby.She acts as if she is going to charge towards the lions and for a moment it seems as if her rescue attempt could win the day.

But then the herd of lions split up and one attacks the mother while the other sets its sights on the now-vulnerable baby buffalo.The mother fights with all her might, still attempting to kick off the predators and save her young even after one lion jumps on her back.But her desperate last attempt wasn't enough in the end. The lions overpower the buffalo and reach the calf.All the mother can do is watch as the kings of the jungle devour her baby, fighting for their share of the kill.

The photographer from Pretoria, South Africa, who took the pictures in summer 2014, said: 'It lasted for around 20 minutes and it started off with the lion chasing the baby buffalo away from the herd. 'The mother dramatically came in and put her life on the line for her baby.

'At one point I thought the buffalo and calf was going to get away but then all of a sudden the lions split up and one jumped on the back of the mum and that scared her and she couldn't protect herself and her baby at the same time.

'She tried her hardest with kicking the lions off but they were just too strong for her.'It was incredibly heart-wrenching to watch the struggle between the two buffalo but it was so touching to see the mother buffalo put her life on the line for her baby like that.

'It shows that even animals love just as much as humans do.'

Croc vs lion: Big cat makes miracle escape from clutches of reptile

IF YOU'VE ever wondered whether a crocodile could make supper of a lion, here is your answer.

A video taken in South Africa's Kruger National Parks shows a croc stalking a young male lion which has jumped into a river.Onlookers can be heard exclaiming as the reptile closes in on the big cat, before it clamps its jaws around the lion's neck and drags it underwater.However, the lion emerges unscathed, and makes for the river bank as the hungry crocodile slinks away.Nadav Ossendryver, 18, from Johannesburg, owns the website where the clip was posted before being uploaded to YouTube, where it has now been viewed over 171,000 times.

Crocodile Attacks a Male Lion - Latest Wildlife Sightings

He said: "It was really incredible. Thousands of people share so many videos on our app, but this was one was special.

"I just thought it was amazing the way the crocodiles reacted when the lion appears. When he goes into that water, you just know something is going to happen."

Lions and crocodiles often clash over territory or food in Africa.

In August, a pride of lions saw off an attempt by a crocodile to muscle in on the carcass of a dead elephant in Kenya.

Dramatic Footage Shows Buffalo Escaping Lion Attack After Herd Swoops In To Save Her

Incredible footage has emerged that captures a buffalo’s dramatic escape from a pride of hungry lions — an escape made possible thanks to the actions of her herd.The video, captured recently on the sprawling grounds of Kruger National Park in South Africa, shows a female buffalo surrounded by four lionesses. After a brief struggle to remain upright, the buffalo is eventually brought to the ground and subdued.

But just when it seems all hope of survival has been lost, something quite remarkable happens; four other buffalo — well out of harm’s way — return to confront the lions, driving them off the female with a single charge.

Lions Attack Buffaloes - Another Battle at Kruger

Similar scenes between buffalo and lions have been captured on film only a handful of times, but this sort of behavior is not entirely uncommon, says Wayne M. Getz, Ph.D., a wildlife behaviorist at the University of California, Berkeley. In fact, Getz, who conducts research on the animals at Kruger National Park, told The Dodo he’s seen buffalo come to the rescue in this manner on several occasions.

“The buffalo being attacked in the video is a female, and those driving the lions away are young males. They will often intervene when there’s a calf or younger female involved,” says Getz. “While some people may call this behavior ‘altruism,’ that term should be used in quotes here. By protecting this female from predation, they are, in effect, helping to secure the reproductive future of the herd.”

African buffalo, with their broad, sharpened horns, are uniquely equipped to come to the aid of their fallen herd members. And fortunately for the female under attack, they stepped in without a moment to spare.

“Lionesses, like the four seen in the video, are no match for a group of male buffalo, which is why they seem so wary. You can see them scatter after the initial blow,” says Getz. “The males arrived just in time, as you can see, since the female runs off prior to being mortally wounded.”

Kruger National Park is the setting for perhaps the most famous footage of a buffalo herd defending their kind from attack. This video, titled “Battle at Kruger,” is among the most-viewed nature videos on YouTube —it's been watched more than 75 million times since it was uploaded to the site in 2007.

Battle at Kruger

Lion fight at Cheetah Plains in Sabi Sand

This series of photos was taken in the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve in South Africa a few days ago, when Justin Glanvill, field guide at Cheetah Plains, managed to capture an episode of Africa’s most vicious battles. A lion fight broke out between two males; one, older and donning a more prestigious looking mane, and a second, looking slightly younger and less experienced than his opponent.

The younger male, bloodied, but still prepared to fight, bears his teeth ferociously at his opponent, who responds with his size and stature. Witnesses reported that the eruptive brawl had carried on for a couple of hours, typically tiring both males out, until one gives in and submits to the stronger lion.

Two lionesses had been hanging back throughout the brawl between the males and at this point started to inch closer, bearing their teeth threateningly and preparing what looked like to jump to the defense of the younger male. The larger male had approached the pride of 2 adult females, 2 sub-adult females and another young male; commencing mating with the 2 adult lionesses. In defense of their pride leader, these lionesses stepped in and one reportedly swiped the opposition male with a strong paw.

Ultimately, the scuffle seemed to die down, the opponents separated and the older male went to replenish himself at the nearby waterhole. Photographer and field guide, Justin Glanvill, suggests that this “spectacular” interaction is the result of the older male wanting to instigate a coalition with the younger male, rather than wanting to kill. He added, “Forming a coalition with the younger males would make sense, as otherwise he doesn’t stand a chance.” It’s survival of the fittest in the lion world and this is a magnificent display of just that.

Battle for pride: Two fearsome lions fight it out for pack supremacy as they claw at each other's eyes

Two fearsome male lions fight it out for supremacy and mating rights within their pride as they wrestle in the wilderness.They reared up on their hind legs, bit and clawed at each other's face and eyes and tussled in the dirt.Photographer Kenneth Watkins, 64, watched in awe from just 30 yards away as the noisy battled played out.

Brawl of the wild: Two male lions rear up on their hind legs as they fight it out for supremacy and mating rights

Brutal: One of the lions claws at the eyes of the other as they fight at the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe

He was on safari at the Ngweshla Picnic site at the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe, with his wife and their guide.Insurance consultant Kenneth said: 'They are two adult males who recently formed a loose coalition with three adult females.

'We believe the fight was to establish dominance between the two males. It was very noisy, and lasted about 20 seconds.'The older and darker maned lion had been mating with one of the three females earlier in the week.

'Once the older lion thought he had established dominance the two males went their separate ways.

'The youngster kept a reasonable distance for the rest of the day. He probably minor scratches but there was not very much blood.'Kenneth, originally from Sidcup, Kent, but now living in Greyton, South Africa, added: 'It was remarkable to watch, because in 15 years of safari, we had never seen lions fighting.

'Lions very rarely pay any attention to people in an open safari vehicle, so we were not at all scared.

'Lions are marvelous animals, unfortunately for photography they are mostly asleep, so to get some action was highly pleasing.'

Fighting for the pride

A lion pride has a complex social structure. When males fight for the dominance of a pride it can be a very traumatic experience with the new dominant male killing cubs and often younger members of the pride or even females who refuse to mate with him.

When in Madikwe I came across a pride of lions lounging in the bush and off to the left we could see a young male and a little further on an older male was mounting a female.

The old male turned and we could see he had a very deep wound to his face and it appeared he had lost his eye.

We then looked to the younger male and could see that he too had wounds on his face. It appeared that they had been fighting with each other

The next morning we returned to the area and found the pride again. The young male was no longer with the pride and we could more clearly see the wounds on the old male’s face. They were clearly very painful as he was salivating and kept rubbing his face. He had not lost his eye but it was a very close call.

The cubs were still playing, seemingly oblivious to the previous days events and quite possibly the fate that would have been theirs had the old male lost. Females lay scattered except for one large lioness who seemed to have won the affection of the male. A young cub walked up to her and with a snarl she sent him off. It was time for more serious things than play time.

We watched the pride for a long time and it was one of those rare privileges that the wild offers us from time to time. My head turned one last time as the pride disappeared within the bush and we bumped back onto the road. I could not help but wonder how many more fights this old male would win or if he would even recover from his wounds.

Lion fight! - Pride - BBC animal drama