Lion Versus Tiger

Author: Jonathan Taylor

Lions and tigers of comparable size and weight are evenly matched. Which of the two has the real domain in the wild and is the superior fighter is left to an open jury.

Indeed the author has put this question to keepers both from zoological parks in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Anatomically the lion and tiger would be extremely difficult to distinguish between purely by their skeletal structure. Lions and tigers could be described as cousins. In captivity they have been known to interbreed on occasions although the offspring known as ligers or tigons are often oversized, passive and infertile. However lions and tigers look different as the male lion, particularly the African subspecies have prominent manes in addition to the obvious contrast in colouration. In addition Marco Polo was a little confused on his travels to Asia when he referred to tigers as ‘striped lions’.

Would Lions and Tigers Ever Cross Paths in the Wild?

The short answer is yes it is possible, though unlikely. Big cat fanatics loath the common myth that there are tigers living in the wild in Africa. The exception being that there is a plan to introduce tigers in Southern Africa for preservation purposes. However in India there is a population of around three hundred Asiatic lions residing in the Gir Forest, Gujarat.

If a Bengal tiger were to encounter an Asiatic lion a number of factors should be noted. Firstly lions are sociable creatures and live predominantly in prides unless one or another male is seeking to establish or integrate into a new one. Therefore it would not be in a tiger’s interests to take on a whole pride as the odds would be stacked against them.

Secondly there is a high risk of injury or mortality for both creatures, so conflict would probably only arise over territory or a kill. Thirdly the Bengal tiger is the second largest of the eight subspecies of tiger, whilst the Asiatic lion is smaller than a similar number of varieties of other lions in Africa. Consequently the Bengal tiger would have a significant strength advantage over the Asiatic lion.

Fourthly lions have manes. This means it is difficult for an opponent to attack its throat. Biting may even cause it to choke and it would cushion blows to some extent also. Fifthly male tigers hunt regularly whilst male lions only have to hunt when they are not part of a pride so tigers are probably more expert at delivering fatal blows. Nonetheless male lions have to defend their territory against other prides and contend kills against large packs of hunting dogs.

There is a so called video of a lion versus tiger fight from the Gir Forest on You-Tube though the lion has a distinctive mane more akin to that of the African subspecies. If tigers were introduced into Southern Africa they would be evenly matched against their non striped relatives, though again they would probably not interfere with a pride’s affairs.

Lions and Tigers in Captivity

In zoos and circuses lions quickly form a coalition whereas tigers predictably tend to be solitary and behave courteously unless provoked. Inevitably fights have occurred, sometimes lions win, on other occasions tigers come off better, though it is usually skirmishes to determine hierarchy and they are not normally fatal.

In conclusion then it seems to be fair to say that the lion is the king of the African plains whilst the tiger is the lord of the Indian jungle.

References

The Travels of Marco Polo A New Translation by Latham, R.E Penguin Books Middlesex 1959

Quammen, D. Monster of God The man-eating predator in the jungles of history and the mind Pimlico London 2005