What would be the outcome if these two cats would meet?
The lion is the king of the jungle as several animals flee on its sight, and it’s one of the most powerful predators.
There are many family groups of lions in the wild. Two of these species are the African and the Asiatic lion.
It’s just so exciting to compare these based on their family and special features to find the stronger candidate in this fight.
Both African and Asiatic lions have been geographically apart from each other for nearly 200 thousand years.
Today, there are fewer than 3Ok African lions and just 400 Asiatic lions in their natural habitats.
Size and Description
The African lion has slightly tan fur with an off-white part on the belly and inside its legs. The rosette spots may also stay on the legs and bellies of some adult males.
Male African lions are bigger than female lions. The males can grow as big as 11 feet (3.35 m) in length from head to tail or close to 3.3 meters, weigh up to 550 lbs or 250 kg and reach a shoulder height of 4 feet (1.22 m) or 1.21 meters. Female lions are smaller both in size and weight, weighing up to 400 lbs or 181 kg.
Unlike their African relatives, Asiatic lions have richer coats, with a longer tail tassel and clumps of hair on their elbows.
The most distinguishable feature of Asian lions, that is hardly spotted in African lions, is a long crease of skin overlapping through their abdomen.
The mane of the Asian lion is typically shorter than that of the African lion, and their ears are always coming out. Asian lions are typically smaller than African lions.
Male Asian lions stretch around 5.6 to 8.2 feet long or 1.7 and 2.5 meters with an average weight between 330-500 lbs or 150 and 250 kilograms–the female Asian lions on the other hand are much smaller.
The Asian lion tail measures approximately 27 to 41 inches or 70 and 105 centimeters long.
Similar to all wild felines, Asian lions have robust retractable claws and long, sharp canines that they use to drag their killed prey to the ground.
Their Natural Range
African lions as their name suggests are found exclusively in Africa. You can spot them on semi-dry lands, woodlands, savannas, and bushy lands. These areas provide shelter for them to rest in.
These spaces are also hosts of their target prey animals. For the most part, African lions reside in various spots in Africa, except for the Sahara desert and rainforests.
Asian lions have lived in ancient Persia, Mesopotamia, Palestine, India, and Balochistan. Nowadays, India is the only natural host of Asian lions, and particularly in the region of Gujarat. More specifically, you can get a glimpse of this wild cat in the Sasan Gir National Park and the natural Sanctuary of Gujarat.
A smaller population of Asian lions also inhabits the Gir forest in India.
Their current population, in general, is very small and highly endangered.
Their Diet
The African lion is exclusively a carnivore, preying mostly large ungulates and mammals in their scope.
These may feature zebras, impalas, gazelles, buffaloes, and wildebeest. Some lion groups also like to prey on giraffes and baby elephants. They typically hunt bigger animals like these in groups.
Lions alone may hunt smaller animals like rodents, birds, eggs, fish and occasionally carrion.
Hunting in prides is successful 30% of the time. On the contrary, a lion that hunts alone will succeed in putting down its prey just 17% of the time. In addition to food, lions also drink water most days of the week, especially if it is accessible.
If it’s not readily available though, they may survive for 4-5 days by deriving moisture from the stomach materials of their prey.
The Asiatic lion is the only wild feline in India that hunts in prides. Just like their African relatives, they are predators and carnivores.
The Asian lions mostly hunt blue antelopes, chitals (spotted deer), cattle and buffaloes located in Gir National park.
Both lions are mainly carnivores, choosing meat instead of everything else. They will also go for smaller animals occasionally.
When they kill and start eating their prey, dominant adult males will take the first share.
Their Behavior
Unlike other big feline species, lions are social creatures, living in family groups called prides.
Lions gather together to hunt, but most of the time, it’s females that do the job as they are smaller, more agile, and more flexible. Their lack of mane hair also keeps any intrusions out of the way.
Lions, like most felines, rest for 20 hours daily, and their activity levels are at their prime after dusk, with some hours spent on resting, playing, and grooming.
Intermittent periods of activity follow through the nightie until dawn when hunting usually occurs.
Lions will showcase specific gestures within the group, including licking, playing, and head rubbing.
Lions are famous for having the loudest roar of any wild feline, and you can hear it even from an 8-kilometer distance.
Like their African relatives, Asiatic lions are highly evolved animals residing in social groups also known as prides. However, prides of Asian lions are typically smaller.
The male Asian lions are more solitary and only join a pride when they mate or hunt large prey.
A possible explanation of this is that they tend to go for smaller animals than African lions, needing fewer animals to chase them.
Similar to African lions, hunting is a collective task, but adult male lions rarely join the hunt.
If the plantation is scarce, hunting typically occurs at nighttime, but it may also occur during the day.
The lions hunt in a stealth mode to get closer to their prey and then attack, snatching or putting it down before it flees.
Now, let’s find the winner of the battle.
If we place two adult males of these lions facing each other, who would win the fight? In a direct battle between the two, we believe that the Asian lion doesn’t measure up against its fierce African relative.
Asian lions prefer to live and hunt alone, while they avoid any encounters with other large predators. Their only advantage over African lions is that they are faster.
But, their weight is significantly less compared to an African lion, suggesting lesser muscle power. They also have a lighter coloring to blend with their surroundings.
The key reason behind these physical differences is that Asian lions tend to prey on smaller animals compared to African lions that hunt zebras and wildebeests and animals that weigh as much as 2000 pounds (907.18 kg).
Buffaloes, which weigh on average 1000 to 2000 pounds, is the African lion’s favorite meal, however, they need to cooperate together in tribes to put them down.
Thus, obviously they require plenty of muscle force and fierce weapons like their canines and claws to bring down larger prey.
They are the strongest fighters of nature and gather strength and skill in numbers.
In other words, African lions need to be more strong and systemic, whereas Asian lions have to be more swift and stealthy to hunt successfully.
So in a direct fight between the two, the Asiatic lion would most probably lose or flee in sight of the majestic and all-powerful African lion.