Expert: Jonathan Wright - 1/8/2005

Question
Ok, so theres this arguement about these two animals fighting. Keep in mind were figuring their both the same weight, what would be their advantages and disadvantages and who would be victor?

Answer
Dear Jason

Thanks for your question.

Please note that grizzly bears and gorillas have reputations for ferocity, but these are probably exaggerated. This is especially true for gorillas, which are far more peaceful than the ‘King Kong' image suggests. In fact, chimpanzees are far more dangerous and will kill each other, as well as hunting in groups and tearing monkeys and antelopes apart.

Gorillas live in Africa, while grizzly bears live in North America, so there is no likelihood of them coming into contact with one another in the wild, unless one of them were introduced into the habitat of the other.

They also live in different habitats. Most gorillas inhabit lowland tropical rainforest, but some live in bamboo forest and montane rainforest. The grizzly bear prefers open habitats, such as tundra, alpine meadows and coastlines. This means that a gorilla would not adapt well to the bear's habitat and the bear would not adapt well to the gorilla's habitat.

I think that if they ever came into contact, they would avoid one another. Grizzly bears rarely attack people and prefer to avoid confrontation. A male gorilla will go through various threat displays and will avoid fighting if he can. If anything, I think the gorilla would back down if the bear did not move away and I can't really imagine a bear being put off by a gorilla chest-beating or hooting. A gorilla will usually only attack if an aggressor runs away. It will back down if the aggressor stays where it is. I can't really see the grizzly turning tail.

I think a fight would be very unlikely, but if they were to fight, I believe that the bear holds most of the trump cards. If the gorilla and grizzly are the same size, it would involve a full-grown male gorilla fighting a rather small grizzly bear. This will benefit the gorilla more than if there were two full-grown animals fighting, as the bear would be heavier.

The gorilla is mainly vegetarian and rarely feeds on animal matter, whereas a grizzly can kill a moose with one swipe of its paw. The bear has the advantage here.

The gorilla's ferocity is a bluff to deter potential adversaries. The bear is being genuinely ferocious and has the advantage here, as it is less likely to back down.

Both have powerful canine teeth and use these mainly in threat displays. The bear is more likely to use the canines to bite and kill prey, while gorillas are practically herbivorous. The bear has the advantage here.

Both have powerful upper limbs, but the bear has long claws, whereas the gorilla has nails. Once again, the bear has the advantage to the bear.

The gorilla is more intelligent than the bear, but the gorilla has more facial expressions. Bear keepers say that it is very difficult to read a bear's mind, because of the lack of facial expression. I don't think the gorilla would be able to either, so I don't think the gorilla's intelligence would be much of an advantage here.

Perhaps the only advantage to a gorilla and bear in a one-on-one situation is habitat. The bear would have the advantage in a clearing, but the gorilla would have the advantage if it ran into a rainforest or montane forest and the bear followed. I can't really imagine a bear chasing a gorilla into a forest or other gorillas fighting the bear – I presume you want a one-on-one fight. Chimpanzees can band together to kill leopards, but I haven't heard cases of gorillas doing so.

But, as I stated earlier, I don't think a fight would be likely, especially as one of the animals would be rather disorientated in a strange habitat. It is also unusual for individuals of different species to fight one another. The nearest is when a predator is attacking a prey animal. As bears do not prey on gorillas, this is not a natural phenomenon.

I hope the above scenario does not occur. I don't like the idea of people gaining enjoyment by watching animals fight one another. I hope that your argument is more of a speculative nature, rather than a desire to see animals fighting to the death. Gorillas are becoming increasingly threatened by deforestation and hunting for bushmeat and trophies, while various types of grizzly bear are also threatened. The Mexican grizzly bear is extinct, while other varieties have been classified as threatened under the US Endangered Species Act. Having grizzly bears and gorillas fighting one another is not a good idea.

All the best

Jonathan