LION vs GORILLA - Not Even Close

Subscribe: Who wins in a fight between a silverback gorilla and a lion? Watch to the end to find out :) Size and Physique: The silverback gorilla; When you think of animals that give powerlifter body dysmorphia, gorillas are at the top of the list. It’s perhaps the animal everyone thinks about when it comes just to raw strength, right? I mean, have you seen its back? The dude looks like he’s been doing weighted rows and pull-ups since birth. And surprisingly, that’s not far off. A gorilla’s physique is actually designed for pulling, climbing, and dragging. But, just how big is a silverback gorilla? Well, it really depends on the subspecies. The largest are the Eastern gorillas, with the Mountain and Eastern lowland silverbacks being the heaviest. And trust me, for the Gorilla’s sake, we’re gonna be talking the Eastern gorillas here. So, a fully grown silverback weighs anywhere between 340-430 lbs on average, and stands about 5.5-6 ft tall when upright. So yeah, these are some pretty brauny primates here. And with that size comes massive arms that would make any powerlifter feel insecure. And yeah, when fully stretched, their reach spans up to 8 feet. So, sounds like THAT could be an advantage against a lion, right? Ehhh… maybe. But, trust me, I wouldn’t go betting yet. A gorilla’s long arms are built for moving around on all fours—they’re primarily quadrupedal. And that’s where things begin to get dicey in a fight against a lion. Ya see, defaulting in that position leaves the gorilla’s back and rib region pretty exposed. Now, you might be thinking, isn’t the lion quadrupedal as well? Yes, but this is actually the perfect time to mention this. Gorillas have skin, just like humans. Its flesh is tightly wrapped around the muscle, and thus, its skin, again, just like humans, is easily ripplable, which results in a lot of bleeding. Ya know how those cat scratches hurt? Now scale that up to a 400 + pound lion with 1.5-inch claws. Yeah, that’s not just a scratch—that’s a fatal wound. And speaking of the lion, their defense is vastly superior. Ya see, the lion has fur, which actually bunches up with an applied force, and provides a barrier around the muscle region. And let’s not forget that mane, right? How’s a gorilla supposed to get past that? What’s it gonna do—slap it? Yeah naw. Anyways, just how large is an African lion? Well, the average South African lion weighs anywhere between 400-430 lbs. Ah, so when comparing the lion to the silverback here, they both are within the same weight class as each other. But that’s where the similarities end. When it comes to fighting style, weapons, and natural instinct, one of them is in an entirely different league. Weaponry/ Fighting IQ: Alright, so what would an actual fight between a lion and a silverback gorilla look like? What are they really bringing to the table? Well—this is where the mismatch becomes painfully obvious. Let’s start with the gorilla. When gorillas fight, their style is brutish. They rely on wrestling, tossing their opponents, and clubbing with those massive arms. But here’s the thing—gorillas don’t have precise control over individual muscle groups like we do. So, when they strike, it’s more of chaotic arm-flailing their arms around than a well-placed punch. And sure, they’ve got hands—but they’re not built for punching. They're actually built for grabbing and manipulating. The lion—yeah, it’s winning the weapon matchup by a mile. Lions are armed with razor-sharp claws, which perfectly evolved to tear through thick hide and muscle. A few swipes, and the gorilla’s skin, which is thin and human-like, is getting shredded. And then there’s the bite. Lions don’t just bite—they kill with it. Their canines are longer, sharper, and deadlier than a gorilla’s, and their jaw structure gives them a serious edge. Ya see, lions have elongated snouts, which not only give them a longer bite reach, but also allow for rapid, repeated bites—something the gorilla can’t match. And let’s not forget the way lions actually fight. They don’t just swipe—they lunge, wrestle, and maul. Now, something unique is that lions tend to bite all over the body, such as legs, the spine region, and of course, the neck when delivering a final kill shot. But here’s the thing, lions tend to stay more grounded when they fight because they are more top-heavy than other cats. So this means they are actually quite stable when they fight. Now, could this play into the gorilla’s favor? Not really, I mean the gorilla doesn’t have any weapons to really counteract it. And, I’m struggling to actually find any advantages here for the gorilla. I don’t know how it’s gonna conventionally fatally injure the lion. Tags: gorilla vs lion, lion vs gorilla, lion, Afican lion, silverback gorilla, gorilla, lion fight, gorilla fight, animals, wildlife, nature, #animals #lion #gorilla #nature