Lions and tigers mortality rates compared. One of the biggest misconceptions people have is that lions fight to the death frequently. That is absolutely false. Data and scientific evidence show most lion fights end with the lions running off, or being intimidated out of the territory. Rarely are the fights fatal. Infact tigers from kanha national park fight fight to the death more frequently then any lion group. Usually lionesses don't defend there cubs, and let Male lions kill them. That's not the case with tigresses. When a male tiger invades the territory of another Male Tiger, if it wins the fight and kills that male tiger, it then goes to the tigresses, mother tigresses usually defend there young and sadly there usually killed by the male tiger as well, along with the cubs. Tigresses are more fierce when defending there young against invading male tigers, and will give there life. Frank Mendel in animal face off stated alot of false statements. Many regions of tigers, fights to the death are frequent, and territorial battles between tigers are often. Now I emailed Frank Mendel all of the gathered sources and data, which even show tigers have a higher mortality rate then lions in many areas. (Kanha, Ranthambore) I couldn't believe when he emailed me back and stated I'm right? Wow Frank Mendel emailed me back stating I'm right. Now I have class, and that email is not going public, out of respect for him as a human being. But I will say there are alot of lies when it comes to lion and tigers fighting, and there mortality rates. Animal FaceOff was a complete innaccurate misinformed show, with alot of bogus statements and untrue data, and non scientific data. An not just lion vs tiger, polar bear vs walrus, leopard vs gorilla, Siberian Tiger vs Brown Bear, and Jaguar vs anaconda as well. But now here is science, and factual evidence showing lions and tigers mortality rates.
As this includes old age and disease, the actual mortality rate due to fighting other lion would be less than 5%.
Okavango delta lion,
Out of 21 lions monitored by scientists, Only 3 lions killed by fighting in 5 years.
http://www.lionaid.org/science/male_move.htm
Annual morality is : 2.8%
Unlike many lion fanatics want us to believe, lions are not mindless killers. Lions like Duba boys lived 16 years. Many lions live till old ages. Lions like other animals try to avoid fights through various means.
Lions avoid fight through roars,
Lions avoid fight through bluffing,
But "since a fight usually hurts both the attacker and defender, they mostly use other methods of dissuasion - particularly bluffing. …… the male may stand broadside to a stranger displaying his mane and making himself appear large and impressive. Such bluffs usually succeed" (Page 60, Wonders of Lions. George & Kay Schaller.).
Lions avoid fight through various tactics,
(Packer)
Serious fights between lions are rarely seen in best-studied population,
(Packer)
Lions avoid transient males, if no immediate danger
(Packer)
Boldchump like always he does, underrate and underestimate tigers territorial and fighting behaviors.
From Schaller's book,
Accoring to Tiger expert ullas karanth,
According to thapar,
Some recent incidents and examples of Tiger's territorial fightings,
Ranthambore wild cats in turf war, tigress killed
JAIPUR: The rise in tiger population in Rajasthan's Ranthambore Sanctuary seems to have sparked off turf wars among the big cats.
An eight-year-old tigress was found dead on Monday and forest officials suspect she was killed in a fight over territory with another tigress. The carcass of the tigress, who was from Gudda area of the park, was found in a decomposed condition.
The tigress may have died two to three days ago, RN Mehrotra, principal chief conservator of wildlife, Rajasthan, told DNA, adding forensic reports were awaited to ascertain the exact cause of death.
Experts and wildlife officials say overpopulation of the big cats in the wildlife park has forced them to redefine their territories, resulting in fights. Ranthambhore is the only wildlife park in the country where a rise in tiger count was recorded after a census in 2007. The number of tigers has increased from 26 in 2005 to 32 in 2008. The tally does not include 14 cubs.
Experts believe their number has increased after strong security measures, better breeding facilities and availability of good prey in the reserve area.
As a result, territorial disputes among tigers have become disturbingly frequent in the park which is spread over 392 square km.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1187546
MYSORE: Even before people could recover from the shock of the death of a large number of elephants in Karnataka at the hands of callous man, the news of the death of a big cat left the wildlife enthusiasts shell-shocked.
A seven-year-old male tiger was found dead by forest staff during routine rounds in the woods in DB Kuppe forest range near Nagarhole on Friday. The body was found when they trailed the foul odour emitting from the body of the dead animal.
According to veterinarians, the animal may have died a couple of days ago since the body has begun decay. Though at prima facie, tiger is suspected to have died of internal fight with his fellow beast, foul play is not ruled out.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1208691
Tiger killed in Kanha National Park
BHOPAL, JANUARY 9: A fully-grown tiger was killed on Monday, following a territorial fight with another tiger at the Kanha National Park.
The badly-torn carcass of the 10-year-old big cat was recovered on Tuesday. Park employees heard the two animals having a fierce fight, which lasted for a long time.
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/tiger-killed-in-kanha-national-park/259813/
Golaghat (Assam), Feb 14 The carcass of a three-year-old tiger was found in famous Kaziranga National Park, the fifth tiger to have died here since January.
Officials of Kaziranga National Park said the carcass was found by forest guards in Kohora range of the national park. It was probably killed by a male adult tiger, officials said.
The gender of the dead tiger could not be ascertained, sources added.
Five tigers have so far died this year. Most of them were either mauled by male adults or died due to natural causes.
http://www.ndtv.com/conve...aspx?id=NEWEN20090083523
Tiger found dead at TATR
According to sources, this is the sixth death of a tiger since January 2005 inside Tadoba core area. Earlier, in the summer of 2005, two tiger cubs were found dead in Zari area. Later, a male tiger died in a territorial fight in Khatoda area on April 28, 2006. Similarly, a three-year-old tigress was found dead in compartment number 111 near Jamni Chowk in June 2006.
http://bigcatrescue.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/tiger-found-dead-at-tatr/
Tiger found dead in Kanha reserve
19 Jan 2009
MANDLA (MP): A tiger was found dead in Kisli range of Kanha Tiger Reserve spread across Balaghat and Mandla districts of Madhya Pradesh.
The tiger, that was found dead in the reserve yesterday, had died in a fight with another big cat for territorial supremacy," Reserve Deputy Director S Sen said on Monday.
"The animal might have died some three to four days back," Sen said.
The body of the nearly four-year-old feline was recovered after stink emanated from the area, sources said.
Forest officials said fight among tigers over territory is common in the reserve
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Earth/Tiger_found_dead_in_Kanha/articleshow/4002640.cms
This tigress got mauled by male tiger while trying to steal the food,
Tigress seriously injured in trying to protect their cubs from new male,
Male tiger killed in territorial battle,
Regarding Schallar's comment about Priority-rights to share kill and McDougal and Seidensticker's observation in Nepal, as the source clearly tells, this sharing can be observed only among familar tigers(among the mother tigress and her nearby settled daugthers, resident males etc). It doesn't happen among 2 unknown tigers.
Seidensticker says 20-25% of tigers killed by fighting other others,
Tigers also fight for food, tigresses fight male tigers to protect cubs (unlike lionesses which usually let cubs to be killed by male lions)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkOia59yHe0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TABMdrMi9Go
Tigers fight for mating rights, (unlike lions which share mating rights)
