Who is the best killer, bear, lion or tiger?

[theundertaker45]

Out of the three bovids above I'd consider the bison as the most dangerous but in general I'd give this title to the wild yak; they can attain weights above 1000kg and are tenacious as hell. Their horns are pointing forward in a very dangerous angle and they seem to be extremely agile/quick for their size, for me that's the true "King of Bovids".

My "Big Bovid Ranking" would be:

1. Wild Yak
2. American Bison
3. Asiatic Water Buffalo/Gaur
4. Cape Buffalo
5. Spanish Fighting Bull

Regarding killer instinct? Well, that has to go to the big cats obviously as they are full time carnivores; so out of all extant bears the only species where an efficient killer instinct is inherited throughout all populations would be the polar bear. But killer instinct isn't everything; we've seen it with sloth bears who can fend off tigers larger than themselves. Even though I'd favour a bull bison over a 500lbs brown bear/lion/tiger, I'd bet my money on the grizzly putting up the most remarkable effort and lasting longest.

So my "Killer Instinct Ranking" would be:

1. Big Cats/Polar Bear (full-time carnivores)
2. Brown Bear (proven to be a very successful hunter depending on the population)
3. Asiatic Black Bear (less carnivorous than the brown bear but known to be a prolific cattle killer and even taking sizeable wild ungulates)
4. American Black Bear (right in the middle; impressive predation feats but usually on the herbivorous side)
5. Spectacled Bear (occasional attacks on tapirs and domestic livestock; otherwise mainly herbivorous)
6. Sun Bear (vertebrate prey is consumed at times)
7. Sloth Bear (mainly insectivorous with occasional mammalian prey on the menu; above the panda due to the fact that it lives alongside other dangerous carnivores)
8. Giant Panda (almost exclusive herbivore; less than 1% of its diet consists of meat)

[brobear]

Fantastic post 'Taker, and I agree with all said. Just one thing that I will add. What the brown bear lacks in killing skills, he more than makes-up for in his grappling skills. Note: grappling is just a fancy word for wrestling, and a grizzly is a wrestler. If a brown bear fights with a big cat such as a lion or a tiger, he just might walk away leaving behind a living breathing lion or tiger with multiple broken bones. It is not too uncommon for a brown bear to maul a large ungulate and to feast upon the living broken body. Not being an efficient killer does not leave him as the loser in such a contest.

[Deleted]

Never mind

But bison is toughest

[OldGreenGrolar]

To be honest the best killer doesn’t necessarily means the best fighter. The brown bear might have ‘forgotten’ where to bite compared to the tiger and lion but it is much stronger and a better brawler than the two. In my opinion, being attacked by a tiger or lion is better than being attacked by a brown bear as death will be swifter and you won’t feel much pain.

In other words, a brown bear attacking you will be worst nightmare than a tiger or lion killing you as death will be slower and more painful.

Polar bears are the most efficient hunters and the quickest killers of all bears.

[brobear]

The number of people who have survived bear maulings is ( I'm sure ) a pretty-big number. Of course, many of those owe their lives to receiving help from other people and medical attention; which a wild animal would not experience.

*Ever watch the movie; "The Revenant" ( 2015 )? The true story of Hugh Glass.

[OldGreenGrolar]

Feb 16, 2021 6:25:44 GMT -5 brobear said:

The number of people who have survived bear maulings is ( I'm sure ) a pretty-big number. Of course, many of those owe their lives to receiving help from other people and medical attention; which a wild animal would not experience.

*Ever watch the movie; "The Revenant" ( 2015 )? The true story of Hugh Glass.

I have watched that movie. Seeing a brown bear attack brought chills down my spine as I could imagine the pain the man was going through.

[tom]

Feb 16, 2021 6:27:50 GMT -5 OldGreenGrolar said:

Feb 16, 2021 6:25:44 GMT -5 brobear said:

The number of people who have survived bear maulings is ( I'm sure ) a pretty-big number. Of course, many of those owe their lives to receiving help from other people and medical attention; which a wild animal would not experience.

*Ever watch the movie; "The Revenant" ( 2015 )? The true story of Hugh Glass.

I have watched that movie. Seeing a brown bear attack brought chills down my spine as I could imagine the pain the man was going through.

I thought the bear attack scene was as realistic as you could possibly get without having a real Bear doing it. CGI is amazing..... 

[brobear]

The Question Asked Is... Quote: "Who is the best killer, bear, lion or tiger?"

Surely, this is a draw between the two specialists; the two ambush hunters. A cat has killing down to an art. Instinctively ( over 30-million years of being an ambush predator ) the cat must place his jaws into their proper killing position once the ambush is complete.
With some large prey, the cat will wrap his mouth around the mouth of the ungulate to suffocate it. Others, he will grab by the throat to strangle his prey. According to the size and prey type, the cat knows instinctively which method to use.
When a big cat ambushes a bear, he always kills the bear with a bite to the spine at the base of the skull. Problem is; this does not work with a full-grown male brown bear. The neck is too thick.
The big cat is a more proficient killer than a bear. He is a highly skilled specialist - an assassin. But the bear is wrestler; heavier and stronger - a better fighter. He is a mauler and a brawler - a bone breaker. 

[King Kodiak]

Well am glad to see the American bison is winning in the poll as the most dangerous bovid.