Who would win a legendary fight between these two wild cats?

These creatures have fascinated humans throughout history, symbolizing strength and courage in many cultures.

The most epic battle in the animal kingdom is the lion vs tiger fight and also one of the most controversial topics ever.

According to ancient Roman history, the Barbary lion is believed to have been one of the biggest subspecies of lions.

Considered to be the link between the African and Asian lions, human intervention has wiped out this magnificent predator from the wild.

The Siberian tiger, often known as the Amur tiger, is the world’s largest cat and subspecies.

The siberian tiger can be seen in eastern Asia and it’s a subspecies.

Along with Bengal, Sumatran, South China, Indochinese, and Malayan tigers, they are one of six extant subspecies of tigers.

Size and Description

The male Barbary lion commonly weighed between 500 – 600 lbs (226 – 272 kg) while the females weighed between 300 – 400 lbs (136 – 181 kg).

This big cat measures 3.2 feet (1 m) in height at the shoulder and up to 11.5 feet (3.5 m) in length. Tiger vs Lion – who is the real king?

Having a short leg contributed to its muscular features

Its mane extended from the top of its head to the groin, passing along its front legs, and its underbelly. Its mane is also dark in color and thick.

The lion’s mane comprises various shades of blonde, and this is dependent on the lion’s age, gender, and physical condition.

The ambient temperature, their nutritive diet, and levels of testosterone may have been the result of their size and color.

The Siberian tiger averages about 11 ft. (3.3 m) in length, with a tail measuring 3 ft. (1 m).

An adult male Siberian Tiger reaches a weight of 700 Ib(320kg).

Siberian tigers look much like any other subspecies of tigers.

They possess orange-red fur with black stripes along with their bodies, as well as cream or white underbellies.

The fur of the Siberian tiger is thick and dense combined with its stout body.

All tigers have unique striped patterns, one different from the other. Why do tigers have stripes and lions don’t?

Siberian tigers are distinguished from other tigers by their fewer, lighter stripes and the presence of manes. In addition to their thick fur, their mane keeps them warm.

Range and Habitat

Northern Africa was home to the Barbary Lion. Because of the aridity, the population density on the eastern edge of the native range was lower.

By the early 18th century, it completely disappeared from the eastern side leaving a stray population in the Atlas mountain range, Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Barbary lions preferred mountainous and forested terrain.

They were solitary creatures. Based on historical records, they hunted as a unit.

Amur tiger is mainly found in eastern Russia, although there is a small population in China that depends on the movement of animals crossing the border with Russia.

It is unknown whether they live in North Korean territory. They live in taiga and boreal woodlands at high latitudes.

Given the limited density of prey, the majority of tigers are restricted to two limited sections of Russia, yet their range of distribution is greater than that of other tigers. As a result, they must travel long distances to find food.

Food Habits

Barbary lion’s prey included Barbary sheep, gazelle, wild boar, and the red deer.

Some fossils found show that the Barbary lion hunting strategy is similar to the lion species of today.

It was death by strangulation, where the lion would chase down prey and sink its teeth into the neck.

Barbary lions are believed to have lived in mountainous regions, as a result, could have been solitary or pair creatures.No one can say for certain.

Females raised their young until maturity, approximately 2 years, and then separated from them.

To keep their rivals at bay, tigers live alone and fiercely mark their territories with their scent.

On nocturnal hunts for animals such as elk and wild boar, they are formidable hunters who traverse many kilometers.

Tigers hunt with stealth, using their unique coats as concealment.

They hide behind thick bushes and tall trees, watching and following their prey before a short burst of attack

Siberian tigers can consume about 60 pounds of food in a single night, however, they eat less on some occasions.

Behavior

Hunting was one of the primary reasons for the Barbary lion’s extinction.

However, ecological changes with the increasing human population also proved to be another serious cause. Their numbers greatly went down by the mid-19th century.

Human encroachment via deforestation led to their lack of food and hence extinction.

Their mating season is believed to be January. Records show that their gestation period lasted for around 110 days.

Each cub weighed between 1.5 and 1.7 kilograms. They have a lot of dark rosettes spots on them.

Solitary beast, who guards and dominates its territory, marking it with rocks and trees to establish his presence and dominance.

Siberian tigers are few in number today, only a few hundred Siberian tigers remain in the wild.

Their territory is large enough to accommodate enough food, they particularly enjoy hunting at night.

Famous for its incredible strength, along with its terrifying reputation.

Siberian tigers have no interest in humans and most often keep their distance. But they occasionally cross into human habitats

Now it’s time for the battle, so let’s find out together, who would win? 

A Barbary Lion.. or a Siberian Tiger?

As I said previously, It is a controversial discussion, the winner would depend entirely on each anima’s strengths and weaknesses.

It is not a decisive factor because they are both almost the same size.

The tiger is much better built physically than its lion cousin, being more muscular and agile, stronger and smarter, and equipped with the largest canines of any big cat.

The tiger’s skull is larger than the lion’s head even though it has no mane.

When adult male Siberian tigers bite their teeth, they can produce 1,050 pounds of energy.

A mature Barbary lion, on the other hand, has a biting force of around 1,000 pounds. This means there isn’t much of a difference in bite force between them.

Although the Siberian tiger can achieve speeds of 80 kilometers per hour, it can only erupt across a small distance. The Barbary Lion, on the other hand, has a top speed of 80 km/h.

Neither side has a significant advantage in this set of duels.

The Siberian tiger’s paws reach 10.2 cm long. The Barbary Lion’s claws are only 7.6 cm long.

When fighting Barbary lions, Siberian tigers have the advantage of being able to stand on their hind legs for long periods of time while simultaneously attacking the enemy with their two front paws.

In addition, in addition to the greater bite force than the Barbary Lion, the Siberian tiger actually has a larger and stronger hindquarter, stronger muscles, larger claws, and sharper canine teeth.

A Barbary lion on the other hand has powerful claws able to deliver serious damage. The Barbary lion’s weakness is its inability to stand on its hind legs.

There is one known occasion in which an Indian monarch staged combat between a Barbary lion named Atlas and a three-meter-long Bengal tiger in front of a crowd of thousands around the end of the 19th century.

It was to determine which one of the two felines should be called “King of the Cat Family”, and whether the lion truly deserved the title of “King of the Beasts”.

In Conclusion

Since tigers stand on their hind legs, they can deliver deadly paws to the lion’s face repeatedly and this could severely render the Barbary lion unconscious. Luckily for the Lion, It has a mane that protects it from the Tiger.

And considering the fact that Siberian tigers are bigger than Barbary lions with greater bite force as well. They could win this battle.

So, when caught in a fight with a Barbary lion, a Siberian tiger would definitely kill it one on one and head-on.

The winner of this epic battle would most likely depend on the individual animal’s strength, experience, and bravery.