Grizzly bear vs the gorilla. Who would win an epic battle between these huge and strong beasts?
Let’s imagine two of the strongest animals, the grizzly bear and silverback gorilla going head-to-head. That would be one of the deadliest battles of the animal kingdom. Both Grizzlies and gorillas are large, muscular, and territorial and are strong enough to take on a fight with any potential enemy.
So, what happens in the fight between these two beasts, who is truly the strongest? Let’s know in this article.
Size and Appearance
Adult female grizzlies weigh 130-180 kilograms on average, while adult males weigh 180-360 kilograms on average. This subspecies' average total length is 198 centimeters, with a shoulder height of 102 centimeters and a hindfoot length of 28 centimeters. However, one study indicated that an inland male grizzly's average weight was around 272 kilograms, whereas a coastal man's average weight was around 408.
On the other hand, our opponent.
Gorillas are the world's largest living primates, with heights ranging from 1.25 to 1.8 meters, weights ranging from 100 to 270 kilograms, and arm spans of up to 2.6 meters, depending on species and sex. They usually dwell in groups, with a silverback as the leader. The Eastern gorilla differs from the Western gorilla by having a darker fur color and a few other physical differences.
| Grizzly Bear | Gorilla |
Weight | 130-408Kg | 100-270Kg |
Size | 6 ft 4 inches to 6 ft 10 inches (length) | 4 ft 1 inch to 5 ft 10 inches (height) |
Habitat
The grizzly bear, commonly known as the North American brown bear or just grizzly, is a North American brown bear population or subspecies.
In addition to the mainland grizzly, other morphological forms of brown bears in North America are sometimes identified as grizzly bears. The Kodiak bear and the peninsular grizzly are two viable populations, while the California grizzly, Mexican grizzly, and Ungava-Labrador grizzly are all extinct. Grizzly bears near the coast are larger on average, while inland grizzlies are smaller.
Woodlands, woods, alpine meadows, and plains are all home to grizzly bears. They enjoy riparian areas near rivers and streams in many environments.
Gorillas are herbivorous, mostly ground-dwelling giant apes that live in equatorial Africa's tropical woodlands. The Gorilla genus consists of two species: the eastern and western gorillas, as well as four or five subspecies. The natural habitat of gorillas in Sub-Saharan Africa is tropical or subtropical woodland. Lowland gorillas live in dense forests and lowland swamps and marshes as low as sea level, with western lowland gorillas living in Central West African countries and eastern lowland gorillas living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Mountain gorillas live in the Albertine Rift montane cloud forests of the Virunga Volcanoes.
Competition in the Wild
Grizzly bears and other predators have a one-sided interaction; grizzly bears will approach feeding predators to grab their kill. Many visitors have watched a once-common conflict between a keystone species, the grizzly bear, and its historic rival, the gray wolf since the reintroduction of gray wolves to Yellowstone. The confrontation is usually over the protection of a young or a carcass, which is usually an elk killed by wolves. The bears are often given a wide berth by cougars. Cougars provide less of a challenge to grizzlies than other predators such as coyotes, wolves, and other bears. When a grizzly bear approaches a cougar munching on its kill, the cougar normally retreats. When a cougar does decide to defend its territory, it will utilize its greater agility and claws to harass the bear while remaining out of reach until one of them gives up. In conflicts over food, grizzly bears have been known to kill cougars. Another enemy Grizzlies face occasionally is Polar bears.
Gorillas also face some fierce opponents in the wild.
One possible predator of gorillas is the leopard. When the group is attacked by leopards or other gorillas, a lone silverback will defend the group at all costs, even if it means his own life. Gorillas do not appear to directly compete with chimpanzees in areas where they overlap. The two apes may eat a variety of foods, including fruit and insects. When dining on the same tree, gorillas and chimps normally ignore or avoid each other, although chimp coalitions have been witnessed assaulting families of gorillas, including silverbacks, and murdering newborns.
Diet
Although grizzlies belong to the Carnivora order and have a carnivore digestive system, they are usually omnivores, eating both plants and animals. When large mammals such as moose, elk, caribou, white-tailed deer, mule deer, bighorn sheep, bison, and even black bears are accessible, they have been known to prey on them, however, they are more inclined to take calves and injured individuals rather than healthy adults. Grizzly bears eat salmon, trout, and bass, and those who have access to a more protein-rich diet in coastal locations may grow larger than those who live inland. Grizzly bears are also quick to scavenge food or carcasses abandoned by other animals. Grizzly bears will eat birds and their eggs, as well as spawning salmon, and will congregate in huge numbers at fishing spots.
Diets vary between and within species. Mountain gorillas eat largely leaves, stems, piths, and shoots, with fruit accounting for only a small portion of their diet. Eastern lowland gorillas have a more varied diet that changes with the seasons. Leaves and pith are usually consumed, but fruits can account for up to 25% of their diet. Fruits are more important to western lowland gorillas than they are to other gorillas, and they are widely scattered across their territory.
Grizzly Bear vs Gorilla - Final Thoughts
Now let’s see all together, who will win the battle between these beasts. Both Grizzlies and Silverback gorillas are the kings of their own habitats. They both are huge and truly strong. Both are strong competitors and won’t back off easily if they are attacked. Grizzlies have long nails and can kill gorillas with their deadly fangs. On the other hand, gorillas won’t be an easy target to take on. They are also big, strong, fast, and highly intelligent.
But even though a Silverback gorilla is extremely quick, strong, and has a longer arm reach than a grizzly bear, there is no way a Silverback gorilla could defeat the much larger and faster grizzly bear in a battle. Though it all depends on the situations they are in, if a bear takes on a fight with a troop of gorillas, it would cost him his life.