Expert: Jonathan Wright - 5/26/2004

Question
I would like an opinion on the most ferocious animal in the 100 lb. weight range. my friend says a pit bull could beat any animal in a fight in ihs 'weight class'. how about one of the big cats? thanx....steve

Answer
Dear Steve

Thanks for your question.

Please note that there are relatively few animals in the 100 lb. weight range and even fewer that show the aggression and ferocity required to win a fight in its 'weight class'.

I have looked up details of various species and have a few contenders. Unfortunately, the wolverine is much too light, even though it will attack almost any other animal and will cause bears and pumas to flee from their kills.

The bonobo is a little too light and, while it is highly intelligent, I don't think it is ferocious enough. It is more of a 'make love, not war' animal. A male baboon is more aggressive and a group of baboons can ward off a leopard, but an individual has much less power, although a baboon would be in with a chance due to its high intelligence.

A female Komodo dragon is powerful and may have an advantage due to her bad breath. She may tackle hoofed mammals and would do well in a fight.

I think your friend may be right, as a pit bull is bred for ferocity, while most animals would flee rather than get involved in a fight with a member of another species. The pit bull would carry on regardless of the consquences. Definitely a contender for the prize.

Obviously, a 100 lb human has a great chance of winning this fight, firstly because the person would know what to do, while another species may avoid the confrontation. Humans can be very aggressive and ferocious and can perform the most terrible acts on their own, as well as other species. If the person carried weapons, I would definitely back him/her to win against any species.

If the person is not carrying weapons, my nomination for the fight is a bird - a cassowary. The cassowary is the largest land animal living in New Guinea and is very powerful and aggressive. It has strong legs, with the claw of the inner toe being up to 10 centimetres long. This claw is a formidable weapon and a cassowary can use it to rip open a person's abdomen. The cassowary is one of the few wild birds which kill people and would have a good chance of winning a fight with animals of the same weight.

Please note that if the fight took place in water, many of the land animals would not do well at all. A fight in water would probably be won by a species of whale or shark. Similarly, the 100 lb limit does not allow flying animals to contend for the prize, but some eagles and other raptors could do well against large land-living animals.

I have also avoided mentioning extinct animals. It would be difficult to judge their relative ferocity. The natural History Museum in London recently had an exhibition about Tyrannosaurus rex. Was it the most ferocious land carnivore ever - or a scavenger? Luckilly, for this question, Tyrannosaurus weighed a lot more than 100 lb.

I hope I have helped you with your question, but I also hope I never see these fights put into action, as I do not agree with animal fights.

All the best

Jonathan