Lion vs Bear: Who Would Win In A Fight?

At Ned Hardy we love and respect animals, but that doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy thinking about what might happen if some of the biggest beasts fought each other, tooth and nail. It’s our natural world version of Godzilla versus Kong. For this latest battle of the beasts we are lining up two apex predators in their own environments, the Grizzly Bear of North America versus the Wild Lion of Africa.

As you’ll quickly realise from those locations, this isn’t a fight that could ever happen naturally. However, it may have been an entertainment in Rome’s Colosseum, and a similar fight was actually captured on film in the 1972 movie, Napoleon and Samantha, an astonishingly irresponsible production which led to then-child-star Jodie Foster being attacked by the lion and left with an entirely understandable phobia of cats. As you’ll see from this clip from the movie, the lion does appear to get the best of the black bear.

Unfortunately for our lion we are pitting him against a grizzly bear, which are much more ferocious than a black bear, and twice the size.

So who would win? Let’s dive in and find out.

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Tale of the Tape

	Lion	Grizzly Bear
Max Weight	420 lbs	1,700 lbs
Max Length	72 – 82 in (head and body)	80 inches (head and body)
Max Height	3.9 ft	8ft (when on hind legs)
Habitat	Africa, small population in Asia	North America
Lifespan	10 – 15 years	20 – 25 years
Bite Force	650 PSI	975 PSI
Speed	50 mph (in short bursts)	35 mph
Temperament	Nervous	Aggressive
Diet	Carnivore: wildebeests, zebras, antelopes	Omnivore: mammals, insects, fish, berries, fruits, roots, flowering plants

Lion vs Grizzly Bear : Size and Weight

As you’ll see from the statistics above, the lion may be a big cat, but even the biggest feline can’t match a big ursine. A grizzly bear is bigger than a lion (especially when it takes to its hind legs, when its sheer size is truly terrifying) and much heavier. While this isn’t decisive in itself – lions have been known to successfully attack and kill much larger and heavier animals like giraffes – it’s certainly an important factor. And while even goofy giraffes have their own lethal defenses (learn all about their kick here), the grizzly is a much more intimidating and aggressive opponent.

The closest comparison a wild lion will have to a grizzly bear is the hippopotamus, which is similarly aggressive and even heavier. While lions have occasionally been observed hunting isolated hippos when they are in a pack, a single lion would never be foolish enough to take one on in combat willingly. As soon as our imaginary king of the jungle saw the size of our imaginary grizzly, its heart would sink.

ADVANTAGE: BEAR

Lion vs Grizzly Bear : Speed/Movement

If the bear has the weight advantage, the lion has speed. Its ability to reach 50 miles per hour in a sprint would mean it would be well placed to launch surprise attacks, and perhaps evade retaliatory swipes. In addition, the lion is – like all cats – exceptionally agile. In one scenario, it might be able to attack swiftly and then sink its claws onto the bear’s back, evading its bigger opponent’s teeth and claws while tearing chunks out of its flesh.

ADVANTAGE: LION

Lion vs Grizzly Bear: Weapons

There are few creatures in all nature which are as weaponized as the lion. As well as a lethal and terrifyingly strong bite, its four sets of two inch claws can inflict massive amounts of damage. Unfortunately for the lion, the bear is one of those few creatures which are as weaponized. Indeed, the bear’s bite is larger and substantially stronger than the lion’s, while its claws can swipe with awesome strength – as fans of Tekken 2 will remember from the bear character’s special move. However, the lion’s greater agility might make it more able to actually deliver blows with its weapons, so this is one area where both sides could have the advantage in different scenarios.

ADVANTAGE: NEITHER (DRAW)

Lion vs Grizzly Bear: Intelligence

When it comes to intelligence, both these creatures are considered as smart as their species gets. Lions are extremely intelligent and sensitive to their surroundings, while bears – as solitary hunters – often display a problem-solving intelligence, even using tools in a rudimentary way. Both animals would in fact be far too smart to ever end up in this fight of their own free will, since the chance of either emerging uninjured is very low.

However, if forced to confront each other, there is some reason to think the lion would be the more intelligent as a fighter. It is used to chasing down and attacking a greater variety of large and fast beasts, and also has the savvy born from being both a pack hunter and, less frequently, a lone hunter. The bear’s fighting skills rely more on brute strength and savagery, and it might be confused and off balance when dealing with an agile and fearsome opponent like a lion.

ADVANTAGE: LION

Lion vs Grizzly Bear: Hunting Skills/Fighting Instincts

Both the lion and the grizzly are skilled hunters, with each using stealth, speed and strength to hunt and overwhelm their prey. However, a lion is more used to fighting for its food, given that they frequently attack large and often aggressive animals on Africa’s plains, while grizzly bears are generally likelier to hunt down smaller prey such as rodents or fish. On the other hand, a grizzly is much more used to fighting on its own, while lions would only take on such large opponents if they were part of a pack. In short, both would be far out of their comfort zone in this battle, meaning it’s not possible to give either of them advantage.

ADVANTAGE: NEITHER (DRAW)

Lion vs Grizzly Bear: Weakness

The lion’s biggest weakness as a predator, both in this battle and in more realistic hunting scenarios, is that it isn’t overwhelmingly heavy and powerful. Certainly not when compared to a hippo, a rhino or – as here – a bear. The bear’s biggest weakness in a death match like this is almost certainly its eyesight. Bears have poor peripheral vision, which is the very reason they stand on their hind legs regularly, to survey their surroundings. The lion would therefore have a brief advantage when it struck, but unless the bear was fatally injured fast, it would soon recover the advantage through its might and bulk.

ADVANTAGE: BEAR

	Moose	Bear
Size		✓
Strength		✓
Intelligence	✓
Aggression		✓
Bite Force		✓
Agility	✓
Speed	✓
Fighting Instincts	✓

Final Verdict: Who Would Win In A Fight?

As the above categories suggest, this would be a closer fight than you might guess, with the lion having the advantages of better fighting intelligence and speed, while the bear enjoys the greater weight and strength. It’s easy to imagine scenarios in which either beast might win. For example, the lion would very likely make the most of its speed and the bear’s weaker eyesight to strike first, and could use its agility to deliver several severe injuries.

Unfortunately, unless the lion struck a killing blow almost instantly – which is a daunting challenge given the bear’s thick hide and stamina – it would swiftly surrender these advantages and succumb to the much greater weight and strength of its opponent. Overpowered, it would soon fall victim to that awesome bite. That’s why in most scenarios the bear would emerge from the battle heavily wounded and bleeding, but victorious.