BXBX NOVEL Chapter 299: 296 Heavy Rain
The final moment had not yet arrived, and no one knew who would claim the victory.
But the selection of the past six days had almost completely separated the chaff from the grain; it was clear that unless something unexpected happened, the remaining six days would hardly be a challenge for them.
With the help of the helicopter, Bi Fang successfully transported the motorcycle to the other side and then continued following the remaining contestants.
In fact, the crisis was not completely resolved.
“A wandering Brown Bear is a very persistent animal; simply crossing a river may not be enough to shake it off.
During seasons when food is scarce, you can hardly imagine the persistence of a roaming Brown Bear. Such a large creature possesses endurance and determination far beyond that of normal humans. When Kostegrode studied them, he discovered a huge Brown Bear tracking a young male tiger, just to kill it! The Bear followed it for 14 kilometers straight, only stopping when the tiger approached a human settlement.
In another incident, the tiger wasn’t so lucky. It circled around but still couldn’t escape the pursuit, and eventually, it was caught and torn apart.”
[Hiss! A Brown Bear killing a tiger? Master Fang, are you sure about that?]
[How is that possible? I always thought tigers were the strongest]
[No way, no way. Surely no one really believes tigers can beat bears, right?]
[Don’t leave us hanging, Master Fang, tell us, which is stronger, the bear or the tiger?]
Who is stronger, the bear or the tiger?
This is probably a question any animal lover wants to know, but however much it’s discussed, it’s impossible to convince the other side.
Those who favor tigers say the tiger is stronger, boasting high attack and agility, capable of dodging with great finesse and then dealing heavy damage.
Those who favor bears say the bear is stronger, with high attack and defense, where one hit can mean death, and one bump can cause injury.
But when Bi Fang stood there, all these people lost their right to speak. With the boss present, the rest ought to step aside. This was a real man who had fought Black Bears in close combat, escaped the grasp of Brown Bears, battled prehistoric creatures, fought off large packs of wolves, and even the Terrifying Upright Ape could not escape unscathed.
Bi Fang hadn’t expected the audience to be so concerned about this question; it touched on a blind spot in his knowledge…
Of course, this blind spot was not about not knowing who was stronger, but rather about it being difficult to answer.
“Bears come in many varieties, Black Bear, Brown Bear; they are all bears. Even among Brown Bears, the heaviest Kodiak Brown Bear can weigh up to 800 kilograms and stand up to 2.5 meters tall when upright. The lightest, the Syrian Brown Bear, weighs only 90 kilograms.
Tigers too vary, with the Northeast Tiger being the largest and the Sumatran Tiger the smallest; the difference in body length is quite significant. To add another point here, there are currently fewer than four thousand wild tigers globally, not of a single kind, but all species combined.”
Four thousand?
The audience had been listening intently to the beginning, and this sudden shift took them by surprise; but considering Bi Fang’s usual demeanor, they could understand why he suddenly brought up this point.
However, the figure of four thousand still made many of them gasp in shock. They knew tigers were rare, but had not thought there were so few.
Bi Fang nodded. Four thousand was no exaggeration—in fact, it was even a bit more; the actual total number of all subspecies combined was just over three thousand.
There were barely over twenty wild Northeast Tigers, and about twenty South China Tigers, which were almost functionally extinct. Natural reproduction would lead to death due to various inbreeding problems, and without human intervention and subspecies mixing, extinction was inevitable.
That’s why a while ago, when a wild Northeast Tiger entered human territory, it was captured and then bred.
But all this was beside the point. Bi Fang mentioned it only out of a sense of responsibility and then steered the conversation back to the topic.
He didn’t beat around the bush and directly stated the conclusion: “For the same size, the tiger is stronger, even considering the large differences in size that exist in reality.”
The relationship between tigers and Brown Bears is complex; the tiger is both a predator of the Brown Bear and their ‘benefactor.’
But one thing is for certain: as apex predators, tigers usually have the upper hand in conflicts with Brown Bears.
Legendary tiger king Dale had killed a mature male black bear and a brown bear mother with cubs in December.
However, those with young tigers are more dangerous and usually end up being the killed party.
Furthermore, some particular environmental conditions favor brown bears and are disadvantageous to tigers.
Under normal circumstances, the decision to fight or not fight is almost entirely in the tiger’s hands, as tigers are faster and more agile, and can escape if the situation turns bad.
But during the winter with deep snow, the deep snow hampers the tiger’s movement, preventing it from utilizing its advantage in mobility. Moreover, no matter where the tiger goes, the brown bear can follow its tracks.
“Some netizens may doubt the accuracy of my data due to online reverence for certain animals, believing that brown bears cannot possibly kill tigers.
But nothing is absolute; it’s true that brown bears do not usually provoke tigers, but that doesn’t mean they never encroach on tigers.
Both brown bears and tigers have strong and weak individuals, and special environmental conditions can create miracles. Haven’t I myself defeated a black bear before? Does that mean my strength surpasses theirs?”
However, that being said, given the choice, Bi Fang would rather encounter a brown bear than a fierce tiger. With a brown bear, there’s a chance to escape, but a tiger attack usually means no hope for survival.
Unless extremely enraged, masters who can slide tackle are another story.
But one shouldn’t underestimate brown bears; in terms of strength, brown bears are indeed stronger than tigers.
Biologists have researched that the force of a full-power slap from an average-sized brown bear can reach about 1600kg, which is the force of more than a ton from a single palm!
It seems the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms would be nothing compared to this.
However, due to environmental constraints, brown bears rarely can utilize the full force of their palm, generally only able to exert about two-thirds or half of their full strength.
“Here I must mention that influenced by the online animal fighting community’s skewed beliefs of ‘bigger and stronger,’ many animal enthusiasts enjoy watching tigers and brown bears fight, thinking that killing more of the opponent proves greater strength and ferocity—this is actually quite tragic.
What does it mean if tigers frequently kill brown bears?
It indicates that the tiger’s preferred prey, elks and wild boars, are diminishing, suggesting that the survival of the beloved tiger is under threat.
What does it mean if a brown bear kills a tiger?
It implies that there is a scarcity of ungulates and fruits, that brown bears have not eaten their fill before winter and have to roam the snowy fields out of desperation for a meal, risking their lives against tigers; just thinking about it is pitiable.
While male brown bears roam, many female bears hibernating in dens likely have even worse nutritional status, and many bear cubs may starve to death.”
Many who were still pondering the question of who is stronger, tigers or bears, suddenly bowed their heads in shame.
[Ah… I’ve never actually considered this issue.]
[I feel ashamed, my thinking is not on par with Master Fang.]
[I’m sorry for disgracing everyone.]
“In early spring, brown bears’ body weights are still at a high standard. When do brown bears weigh the least? You might instinctively think it’s right after hibernation ends, but that’s not the case. In spring, when food is scarce and it’s the breeding season requiring extra energy, brown bears’ weight continues to drop, reaching its lowest in summer. As nuts and berries gradually ripen, the brown bears begin to regain weight from late summer, peaking just before hibernation.”
The implication was clear: that brown bear was at its peak condition, and just out of hibernation’s hunger, it was very likely to pursue relentlessly.
Although the probability was very low, one couldn’t afford to let down their guard.
Thus, Bi Fang didn’t return to the helicopter right after rescuing the two men; if the bear was persistent enough, it might very well catch up.
It wasn’t until dusk, a few days later, that a heavy rain arrived, allowing Bi Fang to fully relax.
The heavy rain would erase most of the scents.
But for the contestants, it was yet another formidable challenge.