# lion vs. bear **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 16, 2000, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512 "2000-08-16T00:10:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dougmule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dougmule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougmule)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/1 "2000-08-16T00:10:33Z")
who would win a fight (if for some reason a lion and a bear wanted to fight each other and not try to escape) the largest type of bear vs. the largest lion. I have been having this argument w/ friends and I would appriciate outsiders opinions, please mention if your answer carries more weight, like a biologist, lion trainer, bear owner or someone who has seen a lion fight a bear, thank you ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/2 "2000-08-16T00:21:55Z")
welcome. not that this answers your question, but here are some related threads… [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=31190](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=31190) [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=13029](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=13029) ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/3 "2000-08-16T00:48:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dougmule \* > **… bear owner …** Hell, I wanna talk to any bear owners out there, too! Can you imagine bath time? ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/4 "2000-08-16T00:54:25Z")
I am a lion tamer. Actually I’m not. But I DO own a dog, and sometimes he gets pretty rascally! I vote LION. I only do this because everyone else will vote BEAR, and I’m feeling ornery tonight. Wanna fight about it? ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/5 "2000-08-16T01:11:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bio-brat \* > \*\*I vote LION. > > I only do this because everyone else will vote BEAR, and I’m feeling ornery tonight. > > Wanna fight about it? \*\* I think the lion and bear are fighting, but you could probably ensure the lion’s victory by fighting for the bear. I’m inclined to think Lion just b/c of pouncing. ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/6 "2000-08-16T01:18:42Z")
> [@](#): > > but you could probably ensure the lion’s victory by fighting for the bear WHAT HUH?!?! That’s it, you’re on my list now. You wanna throw down? Me an’ the Lion, we can do some SERIOUS damage. * * * Don’t worry, it’s all EMOTIONAL damage. We’re ascared a you. We’ll just taunt you 'til you cry, then well run away. ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/7 "2000-08-16T01:27:33Z")
myself, i would vote bear… as long as **bio-brat** doesn’t have the claws removed. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/8 "2000-08-16T01:38:09Z")
Oh, the bear, definitely. Bears are meaner. Lions are noble and stuff. Well. That was an easy choice. How about getting a Sphinx and a Chimera to fight? ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/9 "2000-08-16T01:54:00Z")
> [@](#): > > as long as bio-brat doesn’t have the claws removed I’m having BOTH of their claws removed, teeth too!! THEN who’d win smartass? * * * Seriously though, surely it would depend on the TYPE of bear. A Lion would kick a Black or Brown bear’s tail. But a Grizzly or a Polar bear? Definitely the bear has the upper claw. ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/10 "2000-08-16T02:00:33Z")
Because I’m an ornery idiot, I didn’t see that “the largest type of bear” was in the OP. But I’m STILL voting Lion. And for that matter, I’m voting chimera too. But I think a Griffin could take them both. ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/11 "2000-08-16T02:02:46Z")
while a donkey of intellectual superiority may be able to plan out his attack, the fact that he is still an ungulate would lead to his demise. thus, i think the bear would win, claws or no claws. ---
**Author:** ![Ura-Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/51bf81/32.png) [@Ura-Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ura-Maru)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/12 "2000-08-16T02:22:07Z")
The lion. He can sit back and watch his many powerful and graceful mates work together to tear the bear appart. And then they’ll let him eat first. Which is, pretty much, the kind of lifestyle that I’m trying to acheve. Lucky lion. – “I am Torgo. I look after the place while the Master is away.” ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/13 "2000-08-16T02:23:21Z")
The Bear of course!! I always say Bear!! They are bigger, more aggressive and stronger. They also have thicker skin and more hair. I Bear can effectively use its paws to swat and claw. A lion can only use his to hang on to something after he jumps on it. A Bear would toss his ass into the ground though. Isn’t this more of a GD or IMHO? ---
**Author:** ![Ura-Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/51bf81/32.png) [@Ura-Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ura-Maru)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/14 "2000-08-16T02:30:58Z")
Don’t think you can call lions “noble” Ike. (Hey! His name is my name, too!) Lion’s don’t work, they let thier mates do all the hunting, but still eat first, feed thier young last, if anything’s left, and kill thier own children if they’re a threat to thier dominace. As I said, a good deal if you can get it. Except for the whole starving and killing your children bit, which seems a little extreme. Of course, that’s kinda how nobles act, isn’t it? Never mind. – “Werewolf” “I don’t know, you had him last.” ---
**Author:** ![RM\_Mentock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@RM\_Mentock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RM_Mentock)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/15 "2000-08-16T02:57:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kilgore Trout \* > **while a donkey of intellectual superiority may be able to plan out his attack, the fact that he is still an ungulate would lead to his demise.** I’m going for the elephant. The largest elephant. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/16 "2000-08-16T03:02:02Z")
Of course, they better hope no blue whales come swimming along during the fight… ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/17 "2000-08-16T03:04:05Z")
I vote bear because, IIRC, lions kill things by grabbing them by the throat and suffocating them. Even if the lion managed to grab the bear’s throat, I don’t think the cat could hang on long enough to finish the job. Felines usually have enough sense not to take on something they think has a chance of beating them; I don’t think elephants worry too much about lion attacks. A chimera would make mincemeat of Merv Griffin. ---
**Author:** ![Ura-Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/51bf81/32.png) [@Ura-Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ura-Maru)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/18 "2000-08-16T03:10:22Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m going for the elephant. The largest elephant. Rush Limbaugh? – “Oh no! Some of my bees are dead!” ---
**Author:** ![Punoqllads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d2c977/32.png) [@Punoqllads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punoqllads)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/19 "2000-08-16T03:11:00Z")
Well, as a lion is a 5 - 3, and a warbear is a 6 - 3, under normal conditions the bear would seem to have a slight advantage. In the desert, though, a good strategy by the lion legion could win over the equivalent number of bears. I’d take a 9 - 2 cyclops over either, though, especially in my [titan](http://www.uwm.edu/~bruno/titan/) stack. ---
**Author:** ![Steve-o](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@Steve-o](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve-o)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2000, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512/20 "2000-08-16T03:47:18Z")
This reminds me of one of my favorite threads I’ve ever seen here. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=13126](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=13126) I was tempted to send this one on a downward spiral, but reading the old one satisfied me. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lion-vs-bear/29512.md?page=2)