Saltwater Crocodile vs Grizzly Bear: A match between a living dinosaur and the legendary North American monster.
Crocodile
A legendary monster said to have preyed on dinosaurs, the crocodile is a notorious predator, one of few that actively hunt humans.
Crocodiles are the largest reptiles in the world and have the strongest bite force in the entire animal kingdom.
Larger crocodiles, such as Nile Crocodiles and their even bigger cousins, Saltwater Crocodiles, have no predators at all.
In fact, they will even occasionally prey on other apex predators, such as lions and tigers.
If lions are the king of the jungle, then crocodiles are their dragons.
Grizzly Bear
As the second-largest species of bear (the Polar Bear being the largest), the Grizzly Bear is a predatory tank.
A full grown grizzly is said to be as strong as five or six men combined and, at nearly 1,000 psi, its bite force is powerful enough to crush a bowling ball.
Grizzly bears usually fight by biting and by using their powerful bodies to push and overpower their opponents.
In addition, they will use their claws, which are 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) long, to maul prey until it dies.
As the furry Goliath of the wild, the Grizzly Bear is a force of nature on nightmarish levels.
Analysis: Saltwater Crocodile vs Grizzly Bear
| Stats | Saltwater Crocodile | Grizzly Bear |
| Weight | 2,205 lbs (1,000 kg) | 790 lbs (358 kg) |
| Length | 20 ft (6m) | 8 ft (2.5m) |
| Height | 2 ft (0.6m) | 5 ft (1.5m) |
| Bite Force | 3,700 PSI | 975 PSI |
The Saltwater Crocodile is clearly much larger than the Grizzly and will prove to be at the very least a formidable opponent to the mighty bear.
An important fact to be clarified when judging the two, however, is where this fight will take place.
If it takes place in the water, which is the crocodile’s territory, the bear will simply stand no chance. If on dry land, however, more analysis would be required.
While smaller than the crocodile, the Grizzly has much greater stamina and is much more terrestrial than his semi-aquatic foe. This makes the bear more quick and agile on land, whereas the crocodile has to fight out of his element.
The crocodile, on the other hand, is equipped with massive jaws and a bite force to rival that of the Tyrannosaurus Rex. In addition, he is prone to quick outbursts and will seriously wound any enemy not fast enough to dodge its devastating bite.
Another advantage the large reptile has that will prove to be a tremendous obstacle for the bear is that he has one of the strongest armors known in nature, while his soft belly is against the ground and out of harm’s way.
The crocodile’s semi aquatic nature, however, poses a bit of problem for him. He usually kills large animals by drowning them, gripping them tightly in his jaws and dragging them down to the murky depths of the water. If a fight takes place on land, this technique is useless and there isn’t much the crocodile can do to kill his opponent in such a match.
Likewise, although the Grizzly Bear is built to take down prey larger than himself, the crocodile is unlike any other rival the bear would encounter in the wild and he is powerless against the crocodile’s thick, bony armor.
Furthermore, even though Grizzlies will oftentimes hunt prey that outsize themselves, hunting and fighting are two completely different circumstances.
Hunting vs Fighting: Predator vs Prey
There are a number of key differences between hunting and fighting, to the extent that it’s often unfair to use a hunting victory to argue a win in a faceoff.
First of all, hunting gives the hunter the element of surprise, whereas a battle is confrontational.
Secondly, the goal of hunting is to eat the prey, while the prey will do what it can to survive the attack. If the prey succeeds in fleeing, it would mean success for the prey and failure for the predator.
When fighting, however, the goal is the same for both sides; each one to ultimately eliminate their adversary. This puts both animals face to face, using their natural weapons and abilities.
Conclusion
Both crocodiles and bears are extremely ferocious beasts and are capable of inflicting devastating damage on other large and fearsome animals.
However, it is clear neither the Saltwater Crocodile nor Grizzly Bear are built for combatting one another and a fight between them will most likely end in a retreat, rather than being a fight to the death.
That said, it will most certainly be the Grizzly Bear who will flee in the majority of cases, since it doesn’t stand a chance against the Saltwater Crocodile’s large mass, impenetrable armor, and lethal jaws.
While the crocodile may initially have a difficult time catching the large bear in his powerful jaws, it will eventually accomplish this, ensuring the match will be a lost cause for the bear.