Who is stronger: a rhinoceros, a bison or a hippopotamus. Who is the strongest in Africa

In these places, every living thing is part of the food chain. Even a man with a gun cannot feel safe. Amazingly cunning, fast and strong creatures. The most experienced hunters died in these places. Sometimes they were killed by huge mammals, and sometimes by small mosquitoes or spiders...

Who is the most dangerous animal? Who will defeat whom in a personal battle, from whom should a tourist expect the most danger?

Today I will not tell you about the unrealistic fights between a lion and a tiger in nature or polar bear and rhinoceros, I will share with you my observations of animals and their relationships with each other and with humans.

Welcome to East Africa...

I'll start, perhaps, with the very frequently asked question: Who is stronger - lions or hyenas? Both of them live in families. And these families were and will be sworn enemies, because they live in the same territory and their food supply largely coincides. And here, most often, lions emerge victorious. They're just stronger. But there is one interesting point in the relationship between lions and hyenas.

There is an opinion, which I am diligently trying to dispel, that hyenas are scavengers. Yes, they regularly feed on carrion, but they get most of their food for themselves, because hyenas are excellent hunters. Of course, if there is an opportunity to “run over” and take prey from smaller predators, hyenas will do this, but it happens that honestly obtained food is also taken away from them. And who does it? Lions! If there are lions close to the hyenas’ hunting place, then they will definitely come and take the hyenas’ prey. And mind you, no nobility, just animal instincts. And it’s worth giving hyenas their due, because they don’t run away, but often fight to the end.

They behave completely differently cheetahs. Alas, these cats suffer most often from impudent lions and hyenas. Skillful and lightning-fast hunters are very often forced to give up their prey to larger predators. The cheetah is fast, but not strong enough to fight. But they don’t lack courage. Especially for females:

Lions, and more often lionesses, are the biggest threat to cheetah kittens. And if they manage to smell cheetahs, they will do everything to kill them. To protect her children, the female cheetah shows incredible courage and cunning. She makes a deception, showing the lions that she will attack them. But, having approached them within a few centimeters, at the last moment he turns around and runs away. At the same time, she does not run very fast so that the lions can chase her. This is how she takes the lions away from her kittens, giving them time and a chance to escape. Unfortunately, this tactic does not guarantee salvation, but it is still an incredible sight.

What about leopards? Here the picture is similar and again there are lions and hyenas. The fact is that there are more lions and hyenas than cheetahs and leopards. Lions and hyenas are the most active and formidable predators that cause problems to everyone who comes their way. Of course, leopard weaker than a lion or a lioness, but at the same time he often enters into a fight with them, which in most cases ends in the defeat of the leopard. The behavior of a leopard with kittens is similar to that of a female cheetah. She also tries to distract the lions towards herself, but only does this by literally rushing at them. A leopard's bite is twice as strong as a lion's. Having bitten, it quickly retreats to the nearest tree. At the same time, as is correct, the kitten also manages to hide somewhere. But the rule doesn’t always work...

Lions and Buffaloes. As you already understand, lions are the main characters of the savannah. But not always main character wins. I won’t write much here, but just show a video. Regular readers have definitely seen it, but those nature lovers who are reading me for the first time should find it interesting:

Lions and elephants. Like lions, elephants live in families. Lions rarely attack adult elephants. But if they manage to push a young elephant away from the herd, they will try to kill him. This only happens if there are very, very many lions and very few elephants. I've only seen this in movies. In several years of filming in the Masai Mara, I had never seen anything like it.

Lions and giraffes. Giraffes regularly become victims of both lions and hyenas. I won’t say that this happens often, but it does happen. This usually occurs during the hot period from December to February, when antelope and zebra move south into neighboring Tanzania and more food becomes scarcer.

Lions and hippos. Also quite a rare fight. If a hippopotamus gets carried away and goes far from the water in search of fresh grass, then the lions can cut off its path to return to its favorite puddle and attack. In such cases, the chances of lions are quite high, but the hippopotamus is not a fool and rarely goes far from the water. By the way, just in case, I’ll say that never get between a hippopotamus and water. He will take this as a threat and attack you. There will be no chance of salvation.

Lions and rhinoceroses. This is completely out of the realm of fantasy. Firstly, there are so few rhinoceroses left that it is impossible to meet them. Secondly, neither a lion, nor a hyena, nor any other predator is simply able to bite through the skin of a rhinoceros. And the rhinoceros itself is so strong that it will simply scatter all opponents with its powerful horn or trample it, and then calmly leave. However, there have been cases where lions have attacked and killed baby rhinos.

Honey badger! That's who I love especially. And if in all previous stories the lion was one way or another the strongest, then with the honey badger everything is not so simple. Lions are afraid of them! Therefore, some animals, such as young cheetahs, disguise themselves as honey badgers.

Here is another video example that will answer the question of why adult lions are afraid of the honey badger:

An elephant will trample a rhinoceros, a walrus will easily kill a polar bear, and a gorilla will punch a leopard in the face

The answer to the question “Who is stronger: a tiger or a lion, a crocodile or a hippopotamus, a falcon or a hawk?” - it’s not just parents who are being tortured by curious children who are searching. Quite serious scientists and simply lovers of the animal world are also trying to figure out who will defeat whom. It turned out that the most powerful does not always win.

It would seem that what is so difficult here? We need to find out who is the largest and fastest of the animals and who has the stronger jaws. However, victory in a real fight does not always depend on these parameters. American naturalist Joseph Kullmann I set out to find out who is the best in the animal world. He studies all cases of one-on-one fights and identifies features that help to win. We bring to your attention some of the stories included in the book.

In wild nature

* Hunters of the Primorsky Territory talk about fights between tigers and brown bears. The winners are often tigers, who do not just fight for prey, but specifically hunt clubfooted animals. However, there are often cases when rivals, after a stubborn struggle, part ways without finding out who is stronger.

* In fights between elephants and rhinoceroses, the former often win, despite the fact that the rhinoceros’s formidable weapon, its horn, is located at a dangerous angle for the enemy and can easily pierce the elephant’s stomach. However, an angry elephant tramples a rhinoceros, sometimes after stunning it with a blow from a log.

* A hippopotamus broke the skull of a rhinoceros that came to drink with its fangs.

* The giraffe decided to eat the leaves of the tree and did not notice that the leopard was sleeping on it. The cat jumped on the giraffe's neck and strangled him.

* In India, an 11-meter reticulated python defeated a tiger in a long fight: it strangled it and swallowed it.

* Fights between martens and wild forest cats are not uncommon. Superior in size to their rivals, cats rarely emerge victorious. A case is described in which a marten strangled a cat at the end of a grueling battle.

* On Komodo Island, feeding monitor lizards turns into a real show for the amusement of tourists. One day, a goat intended for dinner tried to fight a giant lizard: it put out its horns and went on the attack. But the monitor lizard dodged to the side, broke the goat’s legs with its powerful tail and, pulling it by the muzzle, broke its neck.

* The puma that attacked the alligator jumped up, hit the reptile in the eyes with its paws, landed on its back, bit it and jumped back to a safe distance. The second attack followed immediately: the cougar again jumped onto the alligator’s back, rested its front paws on the scruff of the neck, bent down and closed its jaws where the skull ends. During all this time, the alligator only managed to wave its tail once, which the cat easily dodged.

Robot animal fights

Joseph Kullmann also studied fights between robotic animal models created by specialists. They were shown in the series “Beast Battles” on the Discovery Channel. The simulators did not reproduce the animal in full, but had the same jaws, claws, impact and bite force.

Saltwater crocodile vs great white shark

The crocodile damaged the shark's tail fin, then bit it chest, grabbing the rib. It seemed that he could celebrate the victory, but the shark did not retreat. She swam away and then attacked the crocodile. Locking their jaws, both animals began to drown. The crocodile began to run out of air, and when he tried to surface to take a sip of oxygen, the shark ripped open his stomach.

Wolf vs puma

The gray one grabbed the puma's paw with a death grip, but she threw the toothy one away with a blow of her paw. Then he tried to grab the cat by the throat, and again failed - the cougar seriously wounded him in the stomach with its claws. A “control” bite in the neck - and the puma emerges victorious in this fight.

Hippopotamus vs. blunt-nosed shark

The bleeding wound on the body of the hippopotamus attracted the shark. She could not bite the animal properly - its paws and stomach were too thick. However, the predator did not give up her attempts. This made the hippopotamus terribly angry, and the shark’s next attack ended in its mouth - it swallowed a 3-meter fish, like some kind of sprat.

Amur tiger vs brown bear

The tiger tried to bite the bear by the throat, but was unsuccessful. Then the striped one attacked the bear from behind and grabbed him with its claws. However, the bear threw the tiger off with a blow to the head, broke his spine and finished him off with a bite to the throat.

Polar bear vs walrus

The bear was unable to bite through the thick skin of the walrus. The latter decided to take refuge in the water. The bear went after him, but the walrus wounded him with his fangs. After this, the bear tried to get out onto the ice floe, but the walrus finished him off by plunging his fangs into his back.

Anaconda vs Jaguar

The snake wrapped itself around the cat and tried to pull it under water. The jaguar bit the reptile's tail and almost made it to land. Anaconda made a second attempt, this time successful, and drowned the jaguar.

Lion vs crocodile

Sharp teeth and claws did not help the king of beasts break through the dense shell of the crocodile. Once again, having driven the lion away from the river, the crocodile went under the water. Then the lion came closer, trying to understand where the enemy had gone. And he paid for his curiosity: the crocodile, holding the lion’s muzzle in its mouth, pulled him into the water and finished him off there.

Alligator vs black bear

The alligator tried to bite the bear's paw and wounded him, but not too badly. Then he attacked again, but the clubfoot dodged. The tired alligator decided to retreat, but the bear stopped him with a blow of his paw, the alligator turned over and exposed his unprotected stomach to his opponent. Having ripped it open, the black bear won.

Gorilla vs leopard

The leopard had the ability to see in the dark and the agility of a cat on its side. However, this did not help the leopard. The gorilla easily repelled all his attacks and finally delivered a fatal blow with a powerful paw.

Giant squid vs sperm whale

While the sperm whale frightened the squid with sound signals, it attacked the toothed whale, wrapping its tentacles around it. However, the sperm whale did not care much about this. Having stunned the giant mollusk and grabbed it with his jaws, he went into the depths and calmly dined there.

Lion vs tiger

For a long time, the fight between the two cats was equal. Towards the end of the fight, the tiger tried to grab his opponent by the throat, but was prevented by the mane of the king of beasts. But the lion’s attempt to grab the enemy’s neck was successful, and he won.

Everyone will beat the king of beasts

Our columnist Ruslan IGNATIEV is a game biologist by specialty. He defended his diploma under the guidance of Nikolai Nikolaevich DROZDOV, and did an internship under his supervision in the program “In the Animal World.” We asked a colleague who he would bet on in threes: elephant, rhinoceros and hippopotamus; polar bear, lion and tiger; whale, sperm whale and killer whale.

* Polar bear, lion and tiger. The winner, of course, would be the polar bear, the largest land predator. By the way, he is the only one who, according to scientists, hunts humans. I won’t choose between a lion and a tiger for a long time either: of course, the tiger will win. Fights between these animals are not uncommon - in circuses where they are kept together. The tiger is an experienced hunter, dexterous and brave, while among lions the females hunt, while the males are lazy and dull. For nothing that the kings of beasts.

In these places, every living thing is part of the food chain. Even a man with a gun cannot feel safe. Amazingly cunning, fast and strong creatures live here. The most experienced hunters died in these places. Sometimes they were killed by huge mammals, and sometimes by small mosquitoes or spiders...

Who is the most dangerous animal? Who will defeat whom in a personal battle, from whom should a tourist expect the most danger?

Today I will not tell you about fights between a lion and a tiger or a polar bear and a rhinoceros that are unreal in nature; I will share with you my observations of animals and their relationships with each other and with humans.

Welcome to East Africa...

I’ll start, perhaps, with the most frequently asked question: Who is stronger? lions or hyenas? Both of them live in families. And these families have been and will be sworn enemies, because they live in the same territory and their food supply largely coincides. And here, most often, lions emerge victorious. They're just stronger. But there is one interesting point in the relationship between lions and hyenas.

What about leopards? Here the picture is similar and again there are lions and hyenas. The fact is that there are more lions and hyenas than cheetahs and leopards. Lions and hyenas are the most active and formidable predators that cause problems to everyone who comes their way. Of course, a leopard is weaker than a lion or lioness, but at the same time it often enters into fights with them, which in most cases ends in the defeat of the leopard. The behavior of a leopard with kittens is similar to that of a female cheetah. She also tries to distract the lions towards herself, but only does this by literally rushing at them. A leopard's bite is twice as strong as a lion's. Having bitten, it quickly retreats to the nearest tree. At the same time, as is correct, the kitten also manages to hide somewhere. But the rule doesn’t always work...

Lions and Buffaloes. As you already understand, lions are the main characters of the savannah. But the main character does not always win. I won’t write much here, but just show a video. Regular readers have definitely seen it, but those nature lovers who are reading me for the first time should find it interesting:

Here is another video example that will answer the question of why adult lions are afraid of the honey badger:

Today we will choose the strongest animal in the world. You will naturally say: “What is there to think about? Elephant!". Of course, if you follow the simple logic: “He who weighs more is stronger,” then, without a doubt, the elephant has no competitors. Well, maybe,

But we will reason like this: strength is manifested not only in body mass, but also in the ability to lift and carry a load that exceeds it. Here, based on this criterion, our top is built: “10 most powerful animals in the world.” So let's get started.

10. Polar bear

This is the largest of terrestrial mammals. The weight of such a predator is about 500 kg, and its strength is simply amazing: it can pull a carcass weighing half a ton onto the ice, and the bear kills a huge seal with one blow of its paw.

9. Orca

In the northern latitudes there is another strongman, which is not unreasonably called the “killer whale.” In the water, the killer whale swims at speeds of up to 55 km/h, and cannot even fight off this powerful predator. And, having burst into a flock of seals, she easily kills 5-6 individuals.

Oxen have long been used by humans as draft animals. These huge ones have always been a measure of strength. One ox can handle a weight of about 900 kg, which is one and a half times its own weight.

An elephant lifts a load of 9 tons. By the way, the five-ton male “mastered” that much. If we consider the above parameters, this is approximately 1.7 times the elephant’s own weight. Worthy! Moreover, in terms of weight, this is an absolute record in wildlife.

Tigers are very strong. They weigh up to 270 kg and can lift a load twice this weight with their teeth.

5. African crowned eagle

In the bird family, the strongest animal is the crowned eagle, which can carry a load four times its weight in flight.

4. Gorilla

Gorillas cannot be called monkeys. These are serious, terrifying-looking primates with remarkable strength.

There is a known case when an adult gorilla, saving her cub who had fallen from a tree from a lion attacking him, broke the latter’s neck simply by grabbing him by the withers. The lion died on the spot.

The gorilla is a worthy competitor in the fight for the title of “The strongest animal in the world.” She can lift ten times her weight.

3. Leaf Cutter Ant

And, looking at an ant, it is difficult to imagine that it is a strong man. Just think, some little thing is rushing fussily underfoot! But take a closer look, and you will definitely see how this insect is dragging a load that is 50 times heavier than its weight! Imagine that one leaf-cutter ant, for example, can carry up to 50 of its fellows. Can you do that? That's it!

2. Rhinoceros beetle

Another contender for the title of “The strongest animal in the world” lives in the tropics. This is a rhinoceros beetle that can lift 850 times its own weight. It is obvious that these insects, despite their size, are strongmen.

1. Oribatid mite

And now, to the sound of fanfare, the winner stands before us. Meet the most powerful animal in the world - the oribatid mite! This, of course, is not an elephant or a polar bear, but its strength is many times greater than that of the aforementioned giant representatives of the animal world.

A tick can easily lift and carry a weight 1180 times its own weight! Just imagine for a moment a tick the size of at least a cat... It’s good that it’s so small! Hurray for the winner!

Who is the most dangerous animal? Who will defeat whom in a personal battle, from whom should a tourist expect the most danger?

Welcome to East Africa...

Video

Photos and text by Alexey Osokin

I'll start with, perhaps, the most frequently asked question: Who is stronger - lions or hyenas? Both of them live in families. And these families have been and will be sworn enemies, because they live in the same territory and their food supply largely coincides. And here, most often, lions emerge victorious. They're just stronger. But there is one interesting point in the relationship between lions and hyenas.

What about leopards? Here the picture is similar and again there are lions and hyenas. The fact is that there are more lions and hyenas than cheetahs and leopards. Lions and hyenas are the most active and formidable predators that cause problems to everyone who comes their way. Of course, a leopard is weaker than a lion or lioness, but at the same time it often enters into fights with them, which in most cases ends in the defeat of the leopard. The behavior of a leopard with kittens is similar to that of a female cheetah. She also tries to distract the lions towards herself, but only does this by literally rushing at them. A leopard's bite is twice as strong as a lion's. Having bitten, it quickly retreats to the nearest tree. At the same time, as is correct, the kitten also manages to hide somewhere. But the rule doesn’t always work...

Lions and Buffaloes. As you already understand, lions are the main characters of the savannah. But the main character does not always win. I won’t write much here, but just show a video. Regular readers have definitely seen it, but those nature lovers who are reading me for the first time should find it interesting:

Lions and elephants. Like lions, elephants live in families. Lions rarely attack adult elephants. But if they manage to push a young elephant away from the herd, they will try to kill him. This only happens if there are very, very many lions and very few elephants. I've only seen this in movies. In several years of filming in the Masai Mara, I had never seen anything like it.

Lions and giraffes. Giraffes regularly become victims of both lions and hyenas. I won’t say that this happens often, but it does happen. This usually occurs during the hot period from December to February, when antelope and zebra move south into neighboring Tanzania and more food becomes scarcer.

Lions and hippos. Also quite a rare fight. If a hippopotamus gets carried away and goes far from the water in search of fresh grass, then the lions can cut off its path to return to its favorite puddle and attack. In such cases, the chances of lions are quite high, but the hippopotamus is not a fool and rarely goes far from the water. By the way, just in case, I’ll say that never get between a hippopotamus and water. He will take this as a threat and attack you. There will be no chance of salvation.

Lions and rhinoceroses. This is completely out of the realm of fantasy. Firstly, there are so few rhinoceroses left that it is impossible to meet them. Secondly, neither a lion, nor a hyena, nor any other predator is simply able to bite through the skin of a rhinoceros. And the rhinoceros itself is so strong that it will simply scatter all opponents with its powerful horn or trample it, and then calmly leave. However, there have been cases where lions have attacked and killed baby rhinos.

Here is another video example that will answer the question of why adult lions are afraid of the honey badger:

Also see:

Where is the warmest place on Earth?

10+ interesting facts about leopards