Grolar bear versus Liger

[OllieFox]

Sometimes I think I have the most amazing office coworkers ever. For example, on Monday my supervisor called me into his office and sat me down. I had the initial "Oh Lord what did I do?" even though I've never been in trouble with him. Then he hands me a small package and says "Saw this at the gas station and thought you and your coworker (who's my mentor and about 5 years older than me) would like it." It turned out to be an elastic band gun. He then proceeded to call my coworker into his office so I would have a prime shooting opportunity!

 

Which brings me to today (after several days of elastic band gun wars and making targets out of company business cards). Somehow my coworker and I started a grand debate... of Grolar Bear versus Liger. I'm firmly team Grolar Bear but my coworker says Liger. This went on for a few hours on and off, ended up involving the whole geology department, most of mine planning, and a text conversation with a zoology friend of mine.

 

So, dearest Rebels, what are your thoughts on the matter? 

[far_away]

Are we working on the assumption that both the Grolar Bear and Liger are in an identical state of health?

[jediokie]

Well I'm afraid your mentor is correct. The Pizzy (Grolar) Bear would stand up to intimidate the liger and get hamstrung and be out of the fight.

[Timmy M]

i was under the impression that ligers were prone to fat gain etc so would be pretty slow, also think lion vs bear, bear always wins even against multiple lions, historic fact there peeps (screw citations The Great Lord Sir Stephen of Fry mentioned it on QI)

[OllieFox]

Big cats tend to be ambush predators. I think a liger would have a difficult time hamstringing grolar bear. For arguments sake let's say they're both healthy, even though one of my points were that Ligers tend to get fat and have health problems. 

[TheMightyMinotaur]

See, though, we have to ask. Is this a cage fight or are they fighting to the death on some abandoned isle? What does the field of combat look like?

 

Because we don't know, I have to go with the Grolar bear. I would imagine the bear would be more adept to fighting in multiple climates and conditions, while the liger most likely would be used to fighting only in jungle and plains type areas. 

 

But imagine if they teamed up? It'd be the best buddy cop movie ever.

[Lawboots]

Grolar bear. The liger is the kind of animal that drinks pabst blue ribbon and listens to bands from Austin that you've never heard of.

[OllieFox]

See, though, we have to ask. Is this a cage fight or are they fighting to the death on some abandoned isle? What does the field of combat look like?

 

Because we don't know, I have to go with the Grolar bear. I would imagine the bear would be more adept to fighting in multiple climates and conditions, while the liger most likely would be used to fighting only in jungle and plains type areas. 

 

But imagine if they teamed up? It'd be the best buddy cop movie ever.

Oooh the setting is an important factor. Hmm need something neutral and natural. Maybe a lightly forested area? 

 

I think you're right that the Grolar bear would have a wider range of climates and conditions though so maybe it doesn't matter ultimately.

 

Hell yeah! They would be awesome and unstoppable! 

 

Grolar bear. The liger is the kind of animal that drinks pabst blue ribbon and listens to bands from Austin that you've never heard of.

 

Ahaha well I'm not sure these reasons would win a scientist over to the Grolar bear side they are highly entertaining. You're right though. The liger does seem more PBR inclined where the Grolar bear seems more moonshine from the crazy hermit's basement inclined.

[Spinflip]

IIRC, a standard Polar Bear is larger than its Grolar cousin (Half-cousin?) while the Liger somehow grows larger than both Tigers and Lions...

 

Either way, I'd have to go with the bear, unless the environment was steeply in the ligers favor

[Guest Dirty Deads]

Yeah it's like lions and tigers evolved separately from the smiladon and when they mate its like reversing evolution and unlocking some gene that makes them bigger. Still, the raw power of the Grolar is ridiculous. My guess is that the liger is smart enough to know when it's outmatched.  Ligers best bet is if it were raised by lions so it could have some fighting experience. Tigers are more cautious and would likely try to retreat causing the bear to easily run it down. If it were raised by lions and the bear raised by polar bears, that's the best case scenario for the liger. Bear raised w/ grizzlies? Forget about it, that thing is a scrapper.

[OllieFox]

Loving the science! I never considered the effects of how/by who it was raised would have on the fighting. Excellent points.