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

[peter]

APEX

Yet another long, well-prepared and interesting post about tigers and bears in the Russian Far East. Must have taken quite a bit of time. Effort much appreciated! 

I assume you're aware of the video about interactions between tigers and bears in the Russian Far East recently uploaded on YouTube by Prof. S. Wroe? I made a few notes and will discuss it in some time: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mcKIpZW9qs

In his video, Prof. Wroe discusses three issues also often discussed at forums: size, bite force and reliable reports about the outcome of interactions. 

Although the info on size seems a bit outdated (he uses information collected in the period 1992-2002 or thereabout), it's reliable. 

Most adult male Amur tigers today, depending on their condition and the season, range between 360-442 pounds (163,3-200,5 kg). Both Batalov and Fomenko said a male exceeding that mark (442 pounds or 200,5 kg) is large in most districts. Adult male Ussuri brown bears, depending on the district and the season, average 575-595 pounds (260,8-269,8 kg). 

Individuals well exceeding these markers (referring to both species) have been weighed, but they're few. For now, it's safe to assume an exceptional wild male Amur tiger can reach 270 kg (596 pounds, Feng Limin), whereas an exceptional male Ussuri brown bear can reach 362,88 kg (800 pounds, WCS).

According to Wroe, who knows a few things about bones, the bite force of tigers exceeds that of brown bears by about 20%. The percentage, as Warsaw stated, is questionable, but it isn't about the details. What Wroe is saying is tigers, biteforcewise, have an advantage. That's still without the canines. If we add speed and agility, one could conclude an average adult male Amur tiger roughly compares to a larger male brown bear in most respects. Tigers and brown bears seem to agree. The result is mutual avoidance. 

Some male bears follow and rob tigers, but they tend to select females (with cubs) and, perhaps, (young and/or old) males with problems. And the other way round: experienced male tigers interested in bears, as you stated, tend to select female brown bears up to about their own size (weight). The recent incidents discussed in this thread strongly suggest male brown bears are sometimes hunted as well. All in all, one could conclude Amur tigers are quite prolific bear hunters, not the other way round. Russian biologists did find overwhelming evidence of tigers killed by brown bears, but not in the period 1992-2025.        

Prof. Wroe's video didn't go unnoticed. I recently visited 'Domain of the Bears' and 'Carnivora' and noticed Warsaw is preparing for battle. You can have a go at prof. Wroe's video if you like, but when you post about it in this thread make sure you focus on information, not something else.   

At the moment, I'm investing most of my energy in skulls and conflicts (between man and tiger). I recently found a video in which a young adult male features. He was shot (by poachers) and, most unfortunately, perished. Another male, adult but still quite young (referring to the teeth), was injured in a fight. He needed medical assistence and was sent to rehab. Reply