American Lion vs Short-Faced Bear | Ice Age Monsters

He's been very lucky that a bison wandered in close enough for him to attack, and he made a kill. Vital for the lion because the lion's literally at the end of his rope. The lion is primarily an ambush hunter. Its great size would seem to make it hard to hide, but it is perfectly suited for its environment. Its coloring matches the brush. It moves silently on padded feet and is able to remain completely motionless for hours. When it strikes, it is lightning quick. The mega bear would smell its prey first. Then, once he had it in sight, he would wait for it to enter striking distance. The bear's taking advantage of the wind. He's coming from downwind. The lion doesn't pick up his scent. He has no idea he's being stalked. The bear is moving up slowly, using trees to help break up his silhouette. The bear moves in short bursts of speed. He was not built for long sprints in the heat. Shorter, controlled bursts also allow him to assess the situation to make sure he's not headed into an ambush. His first option is to scare a rival predator away and take its prey. The lion has to have this meal. His life depends on it. The bear comes bursting out of a grove of trees, roaring at the top of his lungs at a full gallop, faster than a modern horse. The lion turns to face this attacker. The bear expects the lion to run, but the lion doesn't. The lion stands his ground. Bears in our own time are designed to hibernate. In the ice age, there were no seasonal weather changes. The mega bear ate the same amount year-round, giving it an insatiable need to hunt. He towers over the lion. This bear is nearly 11 and a half feet tall. He's a massive, massive animal, and he's very intimidating. The lion, normally, this would be enough for him to turn tail and run, but he can't. He cannot afford to leave this prey. The end of the ice age set off a major movement of species. Cold weather animals moved north, while smaller, swifter animals that were more difficult to hunt replaced them. When the bear faced another predator, he spread his arms wide to look as intimidating as possible, but this exposed his only weakness, his unprotected stomach. The lion was unable to take advantage of that soft underbelly, and all he can do is clamp those huge jaws on the back of the bear. But the bear's body mass is so thick, and that fat layer is so immense, it doesn't do a lot of damage. It hurts, but it certainly doesn't do a lot of damage to the bear. The bear is able to shake the lion off and regain his footing. He has a thick layer of fat to combat the cold that also makes him harder to hold on to. The lion takes the next step and makes a mock charge, hoping that the bear will stand again on his hind legs, because the lion's intent is to go in this time and try to grab the bear by the underbelly. But the bear doesn't stand up. The bear simply rears back and begins to shift his center of gravity to launch his own attack. This time the bear comes full and he doesn't stop. When it mounts a bear rush, the mega bear moves at top speed, but it remains fully balanced, using the eight-inch claws on its feet to dig into the ground and provide traction. It is perfectly poised to use its claws with extreme dexterity. He can swing those paws like a professional baseball player can swing a bat, and when he hits you, he's going to hit you with an incredible amount of force. It's not just the claws, it's the sheer force of the swing that's going to cause the damage. The mega lion's skull is much thicker than the modern lion. It could absorb a blow from a shovel to the head and quickly recover. Its strategy when facing a fellow predator was to circle until it could find where it was vulnerable. Once it identified its target, it would lunge and fake to maneuver its opponent into exposing its weak spot. The lion comes forward with a couple of mock charges, and the bear has a tendency to want to stand on those hind legs, and that's what the lion wants. But the bear doesn't stand up all the way, and that makes the lion's attack useless. The bear continues to do his mock charges in hopes that if that lion will just turn to run, the bear will be able to bypass those weapons, those teeth, and those claws. With the temperature rising, the mega lion would ultimately be replaced by the much smaller cougar and leopard. It simply took too much energy for the mega lion to feed itself the greater heat. He's running out of energy and knows that it's now or never. Lunges forward, arms out in front of him, and attacks the face of the bear. This move brings the mega lion directly into the range of its powerful teeth and jaws, and the short-faced bear uses them to his full advantage. The mega bear will actually use wrestling moves in a fight, including trying to pin an opponent. This will render it harmless with the lowest risk of injury. He grabs the mega lion by the midsection, crunches down, cracking and breaking ribs, and then rips back. The mega lion roars in pain and then slumps to the ground. Figuring that the lion is unable to continue the fight, the short-faced bear turns his attention to the bison and begins to feed. Both of these mammals needed huge amounts of food to survive. The mega bear could consume up to 30 pounds of meat at a time, but would this meal be his last? The ice age has come to an end, and global warming has thrown the ecosystem of North America into utter chaos. Animals were forced to adapt, migrate, or die. Mass migration brought new diseases that indigenous creatures had no resistance to. With the food supply dwindling, even dominant predators could find themselves fighting for prey. Bison were one of the few herbivores that actually thrived in warmer temperatures. The grasslands expanded in the heat, offering them a larger food supply. The bear's attention is clearly on the bison. Its mind is no longer focused on the fight, although the lion is down, certainly not out. The mega lion is most comfortable hunting at night. Like all cats, his large eyes give him superior night vision. That does not help him now. The only hope the lion has is to crush the windpipe of the bear. If it can bite with enough force to penetrate that thick hide of the bear, he'll succeed in winning the day. The lion's long tail gives him added agility. Before the lion can reach the bear's throat, the bear is able to hold off the attacker with its arms. The lion tries in vain to grab the throat, but the bear is just too powerful. The ice age favored power over speed. Larger animals were better insulated. The bear is in excruciating pain from the force of the bear's throat, but he won't give up. Because of a lack of available food, his survival instincts won't allow him to turn tail and run, even though it seems like he's fighting a losing battle. He turns to face the bear and bellows a huge roar to send a clear message, this fight is to the death. The bear's roar would seem as loud as an oncoming train. The lion scores a direct hit to the face of the bear. Temporarily blinded and disoriented, the bear loses its footing and crashes to the ground. This gives the lion the opening that has been waiting for him. The lion's senses are keen, even its whiskers which could pick up vibrations. It can sense animals as small as a mouse in pitch darkness. The lion is desperate and the only way it can win is to get to the throat. With the last remaining strength, he lunges towards the bear. The force of the impact knocks the bear backwards and the lion grabs the throat. The lion needed almost 40 pounds of meat a day to survive. Without it, the megalion would quickly weaken. The bear is able to regain his footing and towers over its rival. It throws the 750 pound megalion with little effort. Unfortunately for the lion, the bear happens to throw it in the direction of the cave.