Have you ever wondered who would win in a fight – the lion or the tiger?
Onlookers at Xi’an Zoo in China saw the two big cats fight. And it was all recorded!
The video begins with the lion starting to confront the tiger. He growled and punched the tiger, who backed away from the attack. However, the tiger had no intention of giving in and swooped back to protect itself.
Both animals have their mouths open, revealing rows of sharp teeth. However, they do not bite each other, but limit their fighting to their bodies and claws.
The lion eventually slipped away, but returned when the tiger got closer to the lioness again.
Lions are heavier and more muscular than tigers, but not by much. The zoo mentioned that as cubs, tigers were actually heavier and bigger. This is because tigers mature faster compared to lions. Now, however, the Lions may have a slight size advantage. However, his hind legs have been deformed, which affects his ability to use all his great strength.
The two animals paced back and forth, apparently watching each other closely. They exchange and rant a few times as they both fight for dominance. The lioness plays. As the fighting ebbed and flowed throughout the day, the other big cats in the pen came to see what the two male cats were up to. None of them intervened and let the male lion and tiger perform this natural ritual to see who was the dominant male.
In the end, the tiger lay down on the grass, indicating that the lion had won. The male will still quickly snap at him or any other animal that gets too close or shows any interest in the female.
The two lions were actually raised together at the zoo. Normally there would be no aggression between them, but the nearby female lion was in heat and the male lion was trying to show his arrogance. This is the natural behavior of lions, and zookeepers are wise to allow wild animals to act as they would in the wild.
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I am broadly interested in how human activities influence the ability of wildlife to persist in the modified environments that we create.
Specifically, my research investigates how the configuration and composition of landscapes influence the movement and population dynamics of forest birds. Both natural and human-derived fragmenting of habitat can influence where birds settle, how they access the resources they need to survive and reproduce, and these factors in turn affect population demographics. Most recently, I have been studying the ability of individuals to move through and utilize forested areas which have been modified through timber harvest as they seek out resources for the breeding and postfledging phases. As well I am working in collaboration with Parks Canada scientists to examine in the influence of high density moose populations on forest bird communities in Gros Morne National Park. Many of my projects are conducted in collaboration or consultation with representatives of industry and government agencies, seeking to improve the management and sustainability of natural resource extraction.
