Ape Strength: Myth vs Reality

[Shadow]

(12-28-2018, 05:42 AM)Pantherinae Wrote: I once played with an orangutan youngster through the fence at a Sweedish zoo, I dipped a stick in honey and the orangutan would lick it off. When I tried to take back the stick and the orangutang held on, it is the most insane strength I have ever felt from an animal that size or a fair amount bigger like big dogs 2-3 times heavier. It was like it was semented into a building, I’m not joking it was insane, I’ve been trainig martial arts for years, but that orangutan was probably stronger than me even being a young animal at 20 kg. I also heard from the animal park where I worked a couple years back that 3 men where no match in a thug if war against their 85 kg male Chimpanzee Julius.  

I don’t know how strong they are, but compared to us humans I think people would be shocked about how much stronger they actually are.. no man on the planet neither Daniel Cormier or a roided Jon Jones would stand a chance against an adult Chimpanzee or Orangutan. And gorillas are obviously even much stronger. I think a gorilla is stronger than a big cat at the same size, perhaps equal to a bear.

Nice to get some concrete examples. Of course what comes to hands, especially those should be and for sure are strongest part of big apes among bite strength. I have seen also many things indicating, that there is power and strength in gorillas. What is open question is, that how much there is, where reality ends and myths starts.

I am personally sure, that gorilla is more than any human can handle, males weight 150-220 kg, so even if 1,5 times stronger muscles to start with as default, anyone can figure out what we are talking about... But really nice to get some examples. I also have no doubts, that a chimp that size (85 kg) is a nightmare if it gets mad. There also if we think about 1,5 times stronger and in rage having no holds when fighting with that agility. It is something different, than any martial art. I guess, that some strong man could overwhelm it with brute strength, but that is different thing than winning it in fight or even if able to do that, doing it without some severe injuries.

I remember one case where a man fought with a small leopard (after shooting it twice with a rifle first), he managed to kill the  leopard with bare hands. But based on what I read, he would have died after that if not able to get help and medical treatment soon. Animals in rage or feeling cornered etc. fight.... like animals do.

As I have said here before, comparing to humans isn´t the thing I am interested, even though examples like yours still can give hints about what we are dealing with this topic. Interesting thing is if we can find some examples giving hints/information what it is if we compare to other animals. I remember one youtube video about testing lions pulling. There was a man who seemed to almost piss in his pants for excitement when lion pulled quite strongly. Reply