Tiger lion analysis
Tiger vs Lion interspecies Conflict-
Based on the Skeletons the Tiger is the stronger animal. Upon the bones of the leg, there are rugosities, or impressions, which indicate the attachment of muscles still stronger than those of the lion.
Tigers are actually closer in built to jaguars and smilodon then they are to lions. Even at equal weights, tigers may be substantially stronger and more powerful. Amur tigers in particular, outweigh lions by approximately 20% on average. While Bengal tigers maybe an advantage over lions(maybe 60/40 or in favor of the larger Bengal), Amurs are a whole different story. It's fair to say that the Amur tiger is truly the king of the cats - no question about it.
However, it is important to note that many things they said about tigers have been recently been proven wrong…
They talk about how a male lion must defend a pride while a tiger does not. This is not true; tigers defend several related females in their territory like a lion defends his pride. Mendel stated that tigers rarely fight to the death, but in Khana national park 25% of male tigers die in fights over female tigers. Fighting is also a main cause of death in male cougars in America and Canada. The show stated that injured tigers would stave because they could not hunt. However, I can cite a great many times where injured tigers survived. I can also state many times where male tigers appropriated kills from female tigers. Dao would often steal kills from his mother Sita. Charger often stole Sita’s kills as well. Male cougars will also steal many kill from female cougars and have even been known to cannibalize on female cougars in extreme situations.
The show stated that the tiger would go for the throat. This observation was made because they wanted to model the tiger and lion’s predatory behavior. This show believe it the cats would bring predatory behaviors to a fight. They were wrong. Ullas Karanth and John Seidensticker show that lions and tigers will prefer to kill each other with a blow to the shoulder or back instead of the neck. Tigers will also frequently sneak up on other male tigers as well. I can cite an incident in which two male tigers fought over a female and one tiger killed the other. However, this tiger was then quickly killed by a third male tiger waiting in ambush.
Tigers are stronger in forequarters and hindquarters then lions. They are a bigger, more powerful, and stronger cat, then a lion. Tiger's hold the edge in agility, and in hand-eye coordination. Therefore in a situational fight, between a Kaziranga Park Tiger, and a Crater lion. History doesn't favor the lion well, the crater lion will weigh around 445 pounds, while the kaziranga park tiger will be around 525 pounds. History states the Tiger was unanimously victorious over the lion. From every book, to every big cat trainer you seem to get the same responce, of tiger's dominance. From the Roman times, to the 17th and 18th centuries, the lion always lost in accounts. Therefore why should history change, History tells us Larger Tigers punished lions. An the tigers from Kaziranga Park are Monsters. A tiger's aggression from the Northeastern India Region, is as aggressive as a cat's get, with it's advantages and history pointing to it, there isn't to much hope for a lion.
There also Nepalese Tiger's, massive Individuals in size. With some studies suggest The average weight of these Monster Bengal's Tigers at 517 pounds. Though Slight smaller then there cousins from Kaziranga park, these tigers are deadly.
Here is a Nepalese Tiger, from The Nepal Region. His name Is Harryfoot. This tiger weighed 607 pounds, odds are you won't find a wild male lion in Africa within 70 pounds of harryfoot. Observe The massive forequarters on this beast. You can't find a Lion that can comepare to Harry. The sad part about it, is they are much bigger tigers from Nepal, and in Northeast India then this tiger. Nepalese tiger's are said by Koreans, to have beaten every lion, when matched against them. It was said that no lions could match these tigers. They live in prides so to say much like lions, and have an unbelieveable agression. When these tigers fight, more then likely it's to death.
Roman times. A few Accounts from The Roman Times. From Mel and fiona Sunquists. World Renowed Big Cat experts.
“In the Middle Ages a few lions were kept in European menageries in Germany, England France and Italy. The best known of these early zoological collections was one belonging to Henry I of England that was eventually moved to the Tower of London, where it remained until 1840. Occasionally lions where forced to fight tigers, but apparently the tigers always won.” - Wild Cats of the World by Mel and Fiona Sunquist
http://www.geocities.com/kinesisksweden/ig4b.jpg
Here's another account, of Tiger vs Lion results.
George Stubbs, the most famous and original animal painter of his time who was just reaching his peak in 1759, liked to display combats of lion versus tiger, though he did not commit the egregious mistake made in James Ward’s animal pictures painted later in the century where the lion symbolizes Britain and the tiger India; in reality, as we know very clearly from the obscene animal fights staged by the Ancient Romans in the arena, the tiger would win in such a sight every time.” (pg. 163) - 1759: The Year Britain Became Master of the World
The lion's mane, This is from World's best Lion expert in the world.- Craig Packer. The mane offers no sheild of protection, and based on many accounts and a few pieces of film of tigers killing lions with throat bites.
Video's could shown, that shows you why tiger's where victorious over lions everytime. They exist, and you would really stand the outcome of a large healthy male tiger(510 pounds) and a large male lion(440 pounds). Believe me amung experts, and accounts, the outcome is unanymous for the tiger. I don't think many of you understand, just how one sided it really is. You may think to yourselfs, the lion and tiger match is a draw. But no history says no draw, history says the larger tiger was the dominator over the lion. All it takes is one bite and the fights over. 5/10 times it was said by a big cat trainer Mabel Starks, " the fight will be over in less then one minute, with the tiger getting a death grip on the lion". So expert account is half the matches within first minute the tiger will have his deadly bite on the lions neck, skull, or spine for that matter. And mane isn't anything, a video of Male tiger killing a male lion, could be uploaded. Then it really show you, that the mane isn't any sort of defense.
The lion's mane isn't much of a defense, and to a smaller tiger, it could lead to a real advantage for a small tiger, and lead to the demise of the lion. A very good book. Lion's Tiger's and Me, By Roman Proske. Gives 2 accounts of Tigers attacking male lions and killing them very quickly with the throat bites. To your left the imagine shows just how easy a tiger, can use it's agility and get a throat bite on a male lion. Mane or No mane. But of accourse there are times, when Tiger do kill lions other ways, then Spine or throat bites. As this account suggests. ) “In 1857 a tiger at Bromwich broke into the cage of a lion and a fearful scene ensued: ‘the lions mane saved his head and neck from being much injured, but the tiger at last succeeded in ripping up his belly, and in a few minutes he was dead. -The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex. Charles Darwin”
http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/165/proof21gner3.png
Unlike lions, tigers are very good at fighting on there hind legs, and dodging attacks. 
Unlike lion's tigers are very good at fighting on there hindlegs and dodging attacks. Alot of times that leads to tiger victories, as this more recent account shows.
Tiger defeats lion.
http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/8132/liontiger7hddi6.jpg
-Montgomery Zoo
Larger Companies like Pbs, also have there take on Lion Vs Tiger from The sources they have gathered, there decision tigers always won.--
The tiger is a rare jewel in a treasure chest of truly spectacular Indian wildlife. When the ancient Romans set tiger against lion in the coliseum, the tiger invariably won. In some ways, the tiger is the ultimate predator. -PBS.ORG
http://www.pbs.org/edens/bhutan/a_tiger.htm
Here a tiger again kills a lion, this time without using a throat bite or a spine bite.
http://www.willamette.edu/~ehodder/lion-tiger_0001.jpg
An extaordinary combat in which the king of the beasts was vanquished in a batle to the death.
From Dave Hoover Big Cat Trainer and Expert- A tiger expert pointed out there was a large tiger that none of his lions could beat. It is claimed to be a large Siberian, but it may actually be a large Bengal named Raj, that Clyde stated would score no less then a draw in a fight with a lion. It was also stated by the tiger expert that one of Clyde Beatty’s best lions was killed by a tiger.
-Dave Hoover
Big Cat Trainers, from Alex Kerr to Cal Riter favor the tiger, but when the top lion expert in the world Craig Pack favors the tiger, that tells you something.
Conclusion- The tiger holds all the advantages over the lion in a fight, if they should meet. Half the time the fights over in a minute. The other half, slight advantage to the tiger they brawl it out. History point's to the tiger, Books point to the tiger, accounts point to the tiger. The Tiger will more times then not be victorious in a fight over the lion.
