Lion vs Tiger – the king of Africa against the tyrant of Asia – a legendary battle, debated and tried for thousands of years, by even the Ancient Romans.
Lion
The lion, often referred to as “the king of the jungle”, has been a symbol of majesty, courage, and strength across many cultures for thousands of years. And for good reason. They’re one of the biggest and most powerful, yet regal, felines in the world.
A pride – or group of lions – can include a dozen or more females and up to three males.
A pride can take down prey multiple times their size and particularly large and experienced prides will even hunt elephants.
Male lions have been given a bad reputation for being “lazy” and “entitled”, since the females do 90% of the hunting, while the males stay at home. However, it’s not without reason that the females bring home the bacon, as they are the faster of the two and better fit for the hunt.
On the other hand, the males are charged with a different, yet arguably just as crucial job. It’s their responsibility to defend the pride’s territory and cubs, both from other predators and from other lions; the latter of which will attempt to usurp the alpha, kill the cubs, and then produce his own offspring with the pride’s lionesses.
Because it is in his nature to conquer, protect, and pass on his genes, being a warrior is deeply ingrained into a lion’s instincts, making him a frighteningly formidable opponent.
Tiger
The tiger is the world’s biggest and strongest of cats and is often called “the true king of the jungle”.
Able to take down prey up to five times their size, tigers are apex predators in every habitat they dwell, whether it’s the python-infested jungles of India or the wolf-inhabited forests of Russia.
Like most felines, tigers are completely solitary and when they come across their own kind, they will often challenge them – usually for mating rights.
In addition, a tiger may fight if another large predator, such as a crocodile or bear, poses a threat or competition for food or territory.
The tiger’s raw force and battle instincts make it an awesome force to be reckoned with.
Who would win?
While lions are debated to have more stamina that tigers, the latter are more agile. Also, for the most part, tigers are bigger than lions and, especially in the wild, few things matter as much as size.
So, if each animal were randomly selected to fight, the tiger would win more often than not.
In fact, when pitted against each other in Ancient Roman arenas, the tigers are said to have won most often, although it is probably safe to assume that those fights were not balanced and one side was likely larger or stronger than the other.
Therefore, the question of who would really prevail in a fight between these two great animals is complicated, as the answer depends on the size of the opponents; each can be as small as the Sumatran Tiger or Asiatic Lion or as big as the Siberian Tiger or Barbary Lion.
The Sumatran Tiger, for example, weighing up to about 300 pounds (140 kilograms), is the smallest of all the species of both animals and will likely lose to any lion.
On the other hand, at around 660 pounds (300 kilograms), a fully grown Siberian Tiger would most likely defeat any species of lion, as would the 500 pound (230 kilogram) Bengal Tiger.
For a fair fight, it would be necessary to compare species that are roughly the same size and weight to one another.
A good pair for this would be the African Lion and the Indochinese Tiger, because while their sizes may vary individually, adult males are overall roughly the same size.
| Stats | African Lion | Indochinese Tiger |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 420 lbs (190 kg) | 190kg (420lbs) |
| Length | 10ft (3m) | 9.5ft (2.9m) |
| Height | 4ft(1.2m) | 3.3ft(1m) |
| Bite Force | 1,000 psi | 1,000 psi |
The African Lion is slightly longer and taller, however it weighs as much as the Indochinese Tiger, which has more girth and muscle. Also, while the lion has greater fighting instincts, the tiger has brute strength, so the match would be fair.
Nevertheless, despite the balance, one is the superior warrior and should the African Lion and the Indochinese Tiger battle, the lion would most likely come out the victor.
Elise
Saturday 15th of October 2022
I'm still routing for the tiger 😥
Elissa
Thursday 15th of September 2022
Fascinating! I really enjoy the post. Very entertaining!