This may raise eyebrows among zoologists, given that grizzlies far outperform their pale cousins the polar bear (ninth place, on 64%) despite the latter being far larger and more aggressive.Īlso performing particularly well are tigers (70%), hippos (69%), lions (68%) and crocodiles (67%).ĭespite their meme-level aggressiveness, geese come dead last in the survey, triumphing in just 14% of their fights. Not far behind in third place is the grizzly bear, at 73%. Elephants had a win rate of 74%, just fractions of a percent ahead of their single-horned cousins – the rhinoceros – in second place, also on 74%. The results show that the elephant wears the crown in the animal kingdom – but only slightly. Animals are ranked by their “win percentage”, that is, how often Americans thought that animal would win in a head-to-head matchup when it was one of the two animals shown. We showed people seven random pairings of animals from the list and asked them which of the two they thought would win in a fight. Our survey puts 34 different animals – including humans – against one another to see which Americans think is the mightiest. Of course, geography and morality get in the way of ever knowing for sure, but a new YouGov study provides the next best thing – the views of the US public. The lion is often held to be king of the animals, but is it truly nature’s most fearsome fighter?Īmericans in search of answers are well catered for: there is a book series, a video game battle simulator, and even a Discovery Channel documentary dedicated to establishing the outcome of hypothetical animal combat. And what wild beasts do Americans think they themselves can take on?