| Black Bear | Mountain Lion |
|---|---|
|
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| Wins 64.80% of 1k fights | Wins 35.20% of 1k fights |
If a mountain lion and a black bear were to meet, the victor would likely be the bear in most cases. Black bears can be twice as heavy as an adult, fully-grown male mountain lion. They are also more dense and have thick mounds of muscle that protect their necks.
Though the black bear would be the victor, it would not be an easy bout. The bear would most certainly sustain some pretty nasty injuries from the mountain lion's sharp claws and long, dagger-like teeth.
Here is the scenario, location, and circumstances that will spark this epic clash of forest titans.
Black Bears and Mountain Lions live in similar habitats and are most likely to meet on the battlefield in the US State of Colorado. Both creatures live in mountainous, densely vegetated areas. The two majestic beasts don't really have the same food source as bears will primarily eat roots and berries while cougars dine on deer.
The circumstances that would ignite a battle between North America's most deadly predators would involve something other than dinner.
The two beasts would likely fight in the following scenarios.
The mountain lion threatens or attacks the bear's cubs
The mountain lion crosses the bear in the springtime, right after waking from hibernation.
The bear wanders too close to the mountain lion's territory
Of the three scenarios, the most likely to occur is when the mountain lion comes close to one of the bear's cubs. Fortunately for the mountain lion, black bears are generally single moms and are much smaller than their male counterparts. This means that the cougar will have to contend with a 175 - 200 pound foe instead of a 250 - 400 pound giant.
A male mountain lion is roughly the same weight as a female black bear but the former has the edge in speed and agility. Both animals are likely to be highly aggressive as well; the bear because it's protecting its babies and the cougar because...it's a cougar.
In this bout, the bear will launch a false charge at the cougar to try and scare the cat away. But the male cougar, unrelenting and hungry, continues its attempt to make a meal of the bear cubs.
When the bluff doesn't work, the bear lunges at the cougar with a flurry of powerful paw swipes. A few connect, and others whisk right by the feline due to the cat's god-tier agility and speed. With no other effective means of attacking, the bear goes in for a bite, and the cougar is able to counter.
It lands a decisive chomp on the less muscular neck of the mother bear, cutting off its oxygen supply and winning the bout. To the victor goes the spoils, and the cougar moves on to enjoy its next meal.
But, what would happen if this particular bear didn't mate with a deadbeat and the papa bear stepped up to bat. The results are going to look vastly different for the big mountain kitty.
Even the largest male cougar will be severely outmatched in both power and size. This fight is the equivalent of what would happen if 89' Mike Tyson fought prime Mayweather. Though the cougar will have the edge in speed and agility, the weight and power difference would be too much to overcome.
The puma will likely still try to land its signature final chomp on the bear's neck but will be unable to due to its large, muscle packed neck. The cat's teeth are too small to strike anywhere vital and its jaws are not strong enough clamp down on the bears wind pipe.
The male bear's paw swipes are much stronger than the female's resulting in decisive blows to the cougar's skull and spine. The black bear wins by landing a final bite to the cougar's neck after a devasting flurry of paw swipes that severely diminish the cat's manuveurability.
While it's fun to speculate who would win in a fight, the reality is that these animals tend to leave each other alone. Predators, like big cats and sharks are looking for easy meals. They don't want to risk breaking a tooth, leg, or their spine pursuing a meal.
As such, mountain lions probably won't attack a bear unless they absolutely have to. Black Bears aren't likely to be the agressors in the bout as they're just not interested in conflict. They'd much rather nap, eat berries, find a good free to scratch their backs on.
Both animals try and stay out of each other's way to keep the peace and prevent any senseless injuries. We humans could stand to learn a thing or two from Black Bears and Mountain Lions. We don't have to like each other but we should do whatever is necessary to preserve peace on our planet.
If you like bears, be sure to swing by my other battle simulator where we put a Grizzly Bear up against a Gorilla. The results may shock you! And as always, if you want to continue this discussion or have any suggestions for another battle, be sure to hit me up on Twitter @devmatt954.
Posted by: Matt Irving on 05/15/2024
