ON THE EDGE OF EXTINCTION - A - THE TIGER (Panthera tigris)

[Apex Titan]

@peter  

Opinions never changed over time. You're talking about two isolated opinions from Krechmar and Sysoev. Most Russian experts before and after Sysoev and Krechmar's time, favor the tiger over the brown bear in a fight. I posted all this information in my previous posts in recent years.

We have to look at the general consensus of expert opinions, observations, and views to determine the truth and get to a correct conclusion. A couple of people with isolated opinions, especially with no shred of evidence to support their opinions, proves absolutely nothing. It only suggests that they're likely biased and have a preference for bears. It's what the majority of expert authorities say, which is truly telling.

Over many decades, various Russian experts have collected data on tiger-brown bear interactions, and analysed the data. And the data (fight statistics & kill accounts) consistently show over and over again, that the tiger is the usual winner in a fight against a brown bear, even when large adult individuals of both species clash.

The views of the indigenous peoples (who have lived alongside tigers and bears for many thousands of years) of the Ussuri regions is also very important and telling. More so than the views of biologists, scientists, and researchers.

Now, I'll show you why Sysoev and Krechmar's baseless opinions are unreliable and meaningless. Any neutral, unbiased reader/observer will be able to clearly see this.

Sysoev's Opinion 

Sysoev was a Russian hunter, local historian, gamekeeper, naturalist, and novelist. He authored several fiction novels and short stories for children. He also used to be a frequent guest among schoolchildren. Sysoev's story "AMBA" didn't suggest anything at all. It was nothing but a fantasy fiction tale in a children's book. In all his many years in the taiga, Sysoev never witnessed, nor knew of a single case of an adult male brown bear defeating an adult male tiger in a fight, not even in a skirmish.

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%...0%B8%D1%87

Note, Sysoev admitted that the tiger more often kills the brown bear, than vice versa. He also thought that at the beginning of the fight, the tiger is perhaps even physically stronger than the brown bear, but then it's (tiger) strength gets exhausted faster. This assumption (referring to tigers strength getting exhausted faster) has proven to be clearly false by numerous fight accounts. Tigers have proven countless times to do very well (mostly succeed) in prolonged battles to the death against a variety of large, dangerous animals like bull gaurs, wild bull buffaloes, large adult (both genders) brown bears, and very large male wild boars.

Sysoev's View on Tiger vs Brown Bear; he states:

"Tigers have virtually no enemies. Only brown bears, having reached their maximum size, sometimes dare to fight this mighty beast. Over the years, I have known of four such encounters. Two of them ended with the death of the tigers (they were not only killed, but also eaten by the bear), in one the tiger emerged victorious, and once the duel ended in a draw."

"Yes, the tiger and the bear do not live in harmony, the tiger overcomes the bear more, but once I found a tiger cub, crushed by a brown bear. It lies in the snow untouched, whole; if there were no fresh tracks nearby, I would not have believed that it died from the bear's teeth. There was only one tiger cub - the mother left it near a crushed boar, and she herself went hunting, and then the bear dealt with her cub..."

"The bear wins not because it has a weight advantage over its opponent and longer claws. Its skin is twice as thick, its bones are stronger, it is more resilient, it is capable of a long fight and it can more easily endure a large loss of blood, while the tiger relies on the suddenness and lightning speed of its attack. The tiger is more agile, at the beginning of the fight it is not inferior in strength to the bear, perhaps even surpasses it, but then its strength is exhausted faster than that of the bear."

Sysoev's assumption that a brown bear is more capable of a long fight is completely false, as there are countless cases throughout history of tigers killing brown bears in prolonged fights to the death, and in such cases, according to all fight statistics, documented accounts, and testimonies from most Russian authorities, the tiger usually wins. So Sysoev's false assumption has been refuted and debunked by plenty of evidence and fight accounts already.

And the large adult male brown bear's "stronger bones" and alleged "superior stamina" didn't help him in his prolonged fight to the death against the smaller tiger "Odyr". This case, like many other's, debunks Sysoev's baseless opinion.

Sysoev's Accounts & Fiction Tales

In all his many years of experience, Sysoev knew of only 4 cases of clashes between tigers and brown bears. In 2 cases, the bear won (huge male brown bear killed a tigress after a prolonged fight, and a brown bear killed a tiger cub in the 2nd case), in one case, the tiger killed the brown bear (unknown gender), and the 4th case ended in a draw. In the 1st case, the huge male brown bear was severely injured by the tigress. So imagine the damage an adult male tiger would have inflicted.

For years, some people used Sysoev's fiction novel "Amba" to spread misinformation about a very large male brown bear killing a young male tiger in a fight. This is the problem, it was nothing but a children's fantasy tale, and many of Sysoev's stories about tiger-bear interactions in the taiga, were made-up fiction stories in children's books.

Here are some examples of Sysoev's fiction novels written for children:

"AMBA" :

https://vb.topbook.me/books/183877557844/

"Golden Rigma" :

https://www.livelib.ru/book/1001397140-z...lod-sysoev

"The Tale of the Himalayan Bear" :

https://litmir.org/books/detskaya-litera...dvede.html

"Amazing Animals" : (A collection of various fiction tales)

https://www.livelib.ru/book/1001053915-u...lod-sysoev

There you go. He was also a novelist who wrote plenty of children's fiction tales about tigers, bears, and other animals of the taiga. Is the isolated opinion of such a man reliable or telling?

The big difference between Sysoev and, say, Kucherenko's views/opinions, is that biologist Kucherenko actually (personally) found multiple cases of large brown bears (200-300 kg) slaughtered and eaten by tigers, but never found a single case, in over 50 years of field experience, of a large male brown bear killing or even contesting an adult male tiger under any circumstances. Whereas Sysoev never reported a single case, in several decades of his experience, of an adult male brown bear ever fighting or contesting, let alone killing an adult male tiger in a fight. Huge difference between their views, opinions, and experiences. Now where's the comparison?

All of Kucherenko's stories, information and accounts of tiger-bear interactions were solely based on scientific and factual information, based on his own personal observations and experiences, and the observations and accounts from his colleagues (biologists, rangers, hunters). Another big difference between the two. Kucherenko's statements, views, and opinions are far more reliable and telling than Sysoev's baseless opinions and assumptions.

So Peter, who's view is more reliable ... Kucherenko's, who actually found hard evidence (carcasses) of large brown bears (200-300 kg) killed and eaten by tigers in several cases, and wrote stories of tiger-bear interactions solely based on factual information, or Sysoev's opinion, a man who wrote several children's fiction novels about tigers and bears, and never reported, nor knew of a single case of even the largest male brown bears contesting, fighting or defeating an adult male tiger??

Expert authorities like Kucherenko, Rukovsky, Aramilev, Dunishenko, Fomenko, Yuri Vankov, Amur Tiger Center experts, etc, were all very explicit and clear about their views and statements about tiger vs brown bear fights. All clearly favor the tiger, and stated that the tiger (as a rule) is the usual winner. Biologists Kucherenko, Aramilev, and Dunishenko were clear that even a large male brown bear cannot defeat an adult male tiger in a fight. Only young tigers or females can lose to a large or very large male brown bear. Their statements are clear-cut and consistent with other Russian authorities and documented fight accounts.

Whereas Sysoev's opinion was vague and confusing at times. Sometimes he made statements which implied that he clearly favored the brown bear, and then sometimes he made statements which implied that he thought the tiger is the most powerful and formidable animal in the taiga. Sysoev also repeatedly in his literature, referred to the Amur tiger as the "Lord or King of the Ussuri taiga" or "Lord of the Far Eastern Jungle". But if he truly favored the brown bear, why did Sysoev repeatedly call the tiger the "king" or "Lord" of the Ussuri taiga??  

And why did Sysoev's taxidermy (created under his instructions) depicting a fight between a male Amur tiger and a male Ussuri brown bear, show the tiger in the dominant position, biting the bear's neck?

*This image is copyright of its original author

Tomorrow, I will post my take on Mikhail Krechmar's opinion. His opinion, in fact, is very easy to debunk.

Conclusion:

Sysoev never produced a single shred of evidence to support his opinion. His opinion, like Krechmar's, is isolated and goes against the general consensus of Russian authorities, biologists, zoologists, rangers, hunters, natives, including John Vaillant, who have all testified to the Amur tigers dominance and superiority in a fight against the brown bear.

Sysoev was also a fiction writer (novelist), who wrote many fantasy stories about tigers, bears, and other animals in children's books. For years, some people used his fiction tales (particularly "AMBA") to spread misinformation and deliberate lies about a huge male brown bear killing a young male tiger in a fight. Which never happened.

And lastly, Sysoev never reported a single case of any brown bear contesting, fighting, or defeating an adult male tiger in a serious fight or skirmish. So his opinion is completely baseless. The collected data (over many decades) on tiger-brown bear fights & interactions blatantly debunks his opinions and assumptions. Reply