# Polar Bear vs. Chimpanzee **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 6, 2013, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649 "2013-05-06T20:54:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/21 "2013-05-07T09:27:34Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I find it doubtful that a gorilla can pick up a live enraged polar bear. I’m not sure he could even pick up a dead one. I said theoretically, but I won’t argue as I agree that the Polar bear would win, just that the Gorilla at least has a chance where the chimp is not much more than a light workout and a snack. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/22 "2013-05-07T10:03:03Z")
The gorilla (never mind the chimp) doesn’t have any real means to damage the bear. The bear is equipped with both a full size gorilla grinder and two gorilla swatters. Come on; the bear is more than twice it’s size and a very effective predator. The biggest male gorilla weighs in at about 230 kg standing 1.8m, a average male polar bear at 400 kg 2.5m tall . herbivore vs. predator. A light snack, nevermind the workout. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/23 "2013-05-07T13:13:16Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#): > > I know people who live, or have lived, beyond the Arctic Circle. I am assured by them that polar bears are basically homicidal maniacs and will kill anything that crosses their path. [They may exaggerated a little.](http://youtu.be/JE-Nyt4Bmi8) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/24 "2013-05-07T13:32:45Z")
If nothing else it may be useful in that it would help encourage polar bears to see the usefulness of migrating to warmer climes. ETA: Yes, I suppose I’m suggesting that polar bears migrate… and we then call them bi-polar bears. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/25 "2013-05-07T13:33:10Z")
> [@Wolf333](#): > > [They may exaggerated a little.](http://youtu.be/JE-Nyt4Bmi8) Maybe they don’t like the taste of dog? OTOH, if you even look like you _might_ be a seal, [they’ll try really hard to get to you.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soj527UqZYA) ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/26 "2013-05-07T14:38:27Z")
I think the bear would win without much of a fight. The best the chimp could do would be to gouge out the bear’s eyes while it’s being eaten alive. I actually think a human would stand a better chance against a polar bear than either a chimp or a gorilla. The extra strength of the gorilla or chimp wouldn’t make much difference. A human has a (slim) chance of quickly improvising a weapon from the environment. It’s a long shot, but a lucky stab with a Macguyver’ed spear is still more likely to kill the bear than a pummeling by an angry chimp. (I suppose this is even less likely given rule #2 of the OP.) ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2013, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/27 "2013-05-07T14:55:57Z")
I think the only land animals that a full-grown polar bear wouldn’t totally dominate one-on-one are elephants, rhinos, and hippos (all adults), and possibly other big bears like the kodiak. Chimp has no chance. I don’t think even a lion or a tiger would have much of a chance against a polar bear. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/28 "2013-05-08T01:18:33Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > I believe grizzly bears prevail in encounters with polar bears, because the grizzlies are more aggressive. But Grizzly’s max out at less than 800 lbs, about half the weight of a polar bear. I don’t think they are appreciably more aggressive than a polar bear, enough to overcome that huge weight disadvantage. ---
**Author:** ![nion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nion)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/29 "2013-05-08T03:50:18Z")
What if the chimpanzee was a velociraptor? ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/30 "2013-05-08T13:23:41Z")
> [@nion](#): > > What if the chimpanzee was a velociraptor? Then the bear would be a T-Rex. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/31 "2013-05-08T13:55:58Z")
Chimps fight in packs though, so you’d need to make things a bit more even (I’m pretty sure the bear would still win). Give the chimp an equivalent number of buds from his troupe to the weight of the bear (say 10-11 additional chimps to the first one). Or, if we are talking gorillas, then say 3-4 gorillas. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/32 "2013-05-08T14:13:09Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Chimp has no chance. I don’t think even a lion or a tiger would have much of a chance against a polar bear. How about if they’re wearing Kevlar and have a blowgun with poison toad darts? ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/33 "2013-05-08T14:56:03Z")
And a poncho. Not just a regular Mexican poncho, a Sears poncho. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/34 "2013-05-08T14:58:58Z")
> [@nion](#): > > What if the chimpanzee was a velociraptor? The bear still wins. Don’t those things weigh less than 50 lbs? ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/35 "2013-05-08T17:35:43Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > But Grizzly’s max out at less than 800 lbs, about half the weight of a polar bear. I don’t think they are appreciably more aggressive than a polar bear, enough to overcome that huge weight disadvantage. I’ve seen reports which indicate otherwise. [E.g.](http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2010/02/25/grizzlies-move-into-canadian-polar-bear-territory/) > [@](#): > > Polar bears swim in from the Beaufort Sea and congregate in August in anticipation of the September whale hunt but the grizzlies, although far smaller, are much more aggressive and less social and often drive the polar bears off the carcass and into the ocean. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/36 "2013-05-08T18:15:30Z")
I think that the polar bears might be DETERRED in the grizzly scenario, not defeated. Sometimes you don’t WANT to fight a guy that you can probably beat, just because you don’t want to be injured incidental to the fight. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/37 "2013-05-08T18:43:55Z")
I have not been claiming that grizzly bears could defeat polar bears in a fight to the death. I was responding (in post #10) to a claim that “polar bears are basically homicidal maniacs and will kill anything that crosses their path”. I cast doubt on that claim by noting that “grizzly bears prevail in encounters with polar bears, because the grizzlies are more aggressive”. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/38 "2013-05-08T19:47:24Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > I cast doubt on that claim by noting that “grizzly bears prevail in encounters with polar bears, because the grizzlies are more aggressive”. The evidence is pretty compelling, I would like to see that video. Many predators have a habit of not getting into scuffles with anything that can harm them (besides prey) but Grizzlies are pretty fierce. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/39 "2013-05-08T20:44:54Z")
Perhaps grizzlies are just dumber than polar bears. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649/40 "2013-05-08T20:49:53Z")
I found a [video](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2320745/Bear-forced-ride-bike-sick-circus-stunt-crashes-mauls-monkey-large-crowd.html) that might answer your question. Granted it’s a black bear and I don’t know what kind of monkey that is (it’s kinda small). Oh, they are riding bicycles and the monkey falls…which may give the bear an unfair advantage. Just a data point brought to you by the Wild Animal Park in China. Spoiler…the bear wins. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polar-bear-vs-chimpanzee/657649.md?page=3)