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Sloth Bear Chases Off Tiger After Amazing Tussle

Sloth Bear Chases Off Tiger After Amazing Tussle

The action took place in Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra, India as the sloth bear looked to visit a watering hole with its baby cub

Chris Ogden

Chris Ogden

Watching nature take its course is amazing yet terrifying. Whether it's bear vs. shark, snake vs. alligator, Alien vs. Predator, you can't keep your eyes off a good tussle.

Now an incredible video has captured that formula in action as a female sloth bear took on a male tiger in an exhausting and bloody scrap and somehow came out on top.

WATCH THE SLOTH BEAR AND TIGER TUSSLE BELOW:

The action took place at the Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra, India this past Wednesday and was captured by Akshay Kumar, chief naturalist at the park.

The fight started after the tiger attacked the bear, which was accompanied by its baby cub, while the pair approached a watering hole in search of a drink.

The tiger, called Matkasur, is believed to have been trying to protect its territory, while the bear's maternal instincts kicked in an attempt to protect her cub.

The result was an almighty 15-minute tussle which saw the two animals charging at each other in an attempt to show the other's who's boss, with both receiving serious injuries in the process.

Caters News Agency

"The tiger was cooling itself off in the water when it saw the sloth bear heading to the water body with her cub in search of water," Kumar explained.

"It went after the sloth bear, but she kept charging to protect her cub. The fight carried on for 15 minutes. The tiger was roaring, it was a severe fight."

The video shows the tiger initially having the upper hand and trying to pin the bear down before the bear manages to wrestle itself free.

Amazingly, the bear eventually turns the tables and chases the tiger off, with experts saying the tiger struggled to handle the bear due to its long fur.

Caters News Agency

"As you can see in the video, the sloth bear was so exhausted. They can't outrun tigers," Dr Anish Andheria, President of Wildlife Conservation Trust told NDTV.

"The only thing that saves the bear is the hair on the body, because [the] tiger doesn't get a grip."

Apparently tense tussles like this are common at the Tadoba National Park water hole as animals congregate to quench their thirst in the hot summer months.

Either way, it looks to have been a brutal fight and it's incredible that the bear not only managed to survive but win. The drink it probably had afterwards was very well deserved.

Featured Image Credit: Caters News

Topics: Tiger, World News, News, Animals, India