Giant Panda vs. Grizzly Bear – Who Would Win?

Just like grizzlies, giant pandas are part of the bear family. However, these two bears have different attitudes and only little in common. 

So, if they were to fight once, how would it be?

Therefore, between giant panda vs. grizzly bear – who would win?

The grizzly bears would win!

They are top predators and not bamboo eaters like the giant pandas. They live almost all their lives hunting and killing for food, despite being omnivores.

Giant pandas are the simpler bears with no interest in competition. Hunting, killing, and even fighting for food is not just their thing.

However, you might be wondering how am I so sure a grizzly bear will win?

Let’s compare both of their abilities to know more.

Who Would Win in a Fight, Grizzly Bear or Panda?

A grizzly bear will definitely win in a fight with a giant panda. Giant pandas aren’t just the fighting type. 

However, if you look at the size, strength, and speed of both animals, you can tell how well they’ll perform in a battle.

Let’s compare these two bears with the categories below to know which one can have an upper hand in a giant panda vs. grizzly bear fight.

Size

Giant pandas have a total body length of about 1.8 m (70 inches). This is just like measuring them while they’re standing on their hind legs, which they can’t. 

Also, they are about 0.9 m (35 inches) tall when they’re standing on all four legs. Grizzly bears on the other hand grow up to 2.5 m (98 inches) long. 

They are quite bigger than giant pandas. M0Loreover, when they stand on all four legs, they are still bigger, about 1.5 m (60 inches) from shoulder to the ground.

The Winner: Grizzly bears 

Size can be an advantage during a giant panda vs. grizzly bear fight. As grizzly bears are quite bigger, they can easily overpower giant pandas during a fight. 

They have long limbs and could stretch more, making them able to land blows from a distance.

Weight

Giant pandas are quite heavy creatures. Female pandas can weigh about 150-200 lbs (70-100 kg). Male giant pandas are quite heavier and can weigh about 160-300 lbs. (75-140 kg). 

However, grizzly bears are also heavy creatures. Their males can be as heavy as 400-790 lbs (180-360 kg). Females weigh about 280-400 lbs (130-180 kg). 

Grizzly bears are the heaviest when comparing the two relatives and this weight can be an advantage for them in a fight.

The Winner: Grizzly bears

They are the heavier bears. With more weight, it will be easier for them to overcome animals with lesser weight, like the giant pandas. 

So, their weight will definitely give them an upper hand against giant pandas.

Speed

Giant pandas are well-known to be slow and clumsy in their movements. However, if there’s a need to run, even being heavyweight doesn’t make them run any slower. 

These creatures run fast at a speed of 20 mph (32 km/h). This is about twice the speed of an average human. 

For grizzly bears, they appear to be heavier bears. However, these creatures will surprise you with their speed. They run at a speed of 35 mph (56 km/h). 

This speed is four times that of average humans. Both of these big bears run pretty much faster than humans. Interestingly, for grizzly bears specifically, it’s nearly impossible for a human to outrun them. 

Though they are much heavier than giant pandas, they still run faster, about twice as fast as pandas. Also, in short distances, grizzly bears can run faster than many horses. That’s incredible!

The Winner: Grizzly bears

They can be swifter in attacks, especially striking from different directions. This speed might not give giant pandas the chance to defend themselves. 

Even when the fight involves a chase, grizzly bears can always catch up with a giant panda. Speed is a very big advantage for them in a giant panda vs. grizzly bear fight.

Strength

Talking about the strength of these two, they aren’t just big for nothing. Both of them are very strong creatures with incredible bite forces. Giant pandas have a bone-crushing bite force of about 292 psi. 

One of the strongest bite forces of land mammals. This is quite obvious as they are part of the bear family. Now, you know how these creatures can break hard bamboo stalks. 

These bamboos show how strong giant pandas are. Bamboo is proven to be tougher than timber, concrete, and even steel. 

However, giant pandas get pretty busy breaking, splitting, and grinding this plant almost all day.

Grizzly bears, on the other hand, have a bite force of 1,160 psi, which is about five times that of giant pandas. Interestingly, grizzly bears can crush a bowling bowl with such a bite force. 

They are super strong with a strength that’s equal to that of five men. They’re able to lift over 1000 lbs (500 kg) with little effort.  Also, they have huge shoulder muscles and one of the strongest forearms. 

Grizzly bears can deliver powerful blows. One swipe to the head can kill a human. Also, a swipe to the back of smaller predators, like wolves, could shatter their spines.

The Winner: Grizzly bears

They’re way stronger and can be more destructive in a fight. Giant pandas could badly injure a grizzly bear due to their sharp teeth, powerful jaws, and teeth. They just have an incredible bite force to cause damage. 

However, grizzly bears can toss a giant panda around due to their amazing strengths. They have stronger bite force and will make more serious damage with their deadly blows.

Lifespan

Pandas 15-20 years in the wild. But, when they are in captivity, they live longer, up to 30 years. M

Grizzly Bears live a bit longer than giant pandas, about 20-25 years in the wild. Also, just like pandas, they live longer in captivity. 

They can live up to 40 years in zoos or any other conservation center.

The Winner: Grizzly bears

This is because if a panda and a grizzly keep fighting over the course of a lifetime, pandas will die first. 

Grizzly bears will remain and live for some years after the death of the opponent, the giant panda. This makes them the winner.

Other Capabilities

Aside from the comparison above, let’s discuss other things these two bears, pandas, and grizzlies, are pretty good at. 

Other capabilities of giant pandas you should know:

• They can climb so well and very high, which helps them stay safe from different threats around them. 
• Giant pandas can see very well in the dark. They have vertical pupils like nocturnals, unlike the round pupils their fellow bears have.
• Their sense of smell is incredible and helps them detect and avoid danger beforehand.
• They can swim so well anytime they have to, especially if it’s to escape danger.

Other capabilities of grizzly bears you should know:

• Grizzly Bears have great vision but it’s most effective in the daytime.
• They can also smell very well. A sense of smell that has been proven to be better than that of hound dogs.
• Grizzly bears have good hearing that way more than their eyesight. It helps them in defense.
• These big bears are great swimmers despite being so heavy. They swim for long distances and you cannot outswim them.

Overall

The grizzly bears would definitely win! 

They are just too powerful for giant pandas. Of course, it’s possible for giant pandas to injure grizzlies. 

They have the deadly teeth and claws to do just that. However, grizzly bears are faster, stronger, and very intelligent. They are the bigger bears and weigh so much more than pandas. 

Also, grizzlies are the most dangerous after polar bears.

Even black bears that are quite smaller than grizzly bears also will have the upper hand in a giant panda vs. black bear fight. 

Grizzlies, on the other hand, are more like giants to the giant pandas and will definitely win the battle.

Related Question

Are Pandas Stronger Than Bears?

Not at all! In every aspect, grizzly bears are way stronger than giant pandas. Looking at their bite forces, body structure, and the amount of weight they can lift, giant pandas are no match.

Whatever, a giant panda can crush with their powerful jaws, grizzlies would crush ones that are five times tougher.

So, in strength, a giant panda is nowhere close to a grizzly bear.

Giant Panda vs. Grizzly Bear Population

The giant panda’s population is over 2,400 individuals, both in the wild and in captivity. On the other hand, grizzly bears have a population of about 55,000 individuals.

On the IUCN red list of threatened species, giant pandas are “vulnerable” creatures. Grizzlies are also threatened species under the endangered species act.

However, giant pandas are rare but are gradually escaping extinction. Thanks to the conservative measures made by the Chinese government. 

Also, non-profit panda organizations and certain zoos with giant pandas around the world have helped to boost their population.

However, grizzlies are endangered and are at risk of extinction because of the threats they face. A major reason for this is habitat loss. 

Human activities like logging, mining, and many developments have had a great impact on their habitat. These are animals that live well in wide ranges. 

This in turn has made the grizzly bears’ population reduce a lot. Survival is hard for them and they suffer a high death rate.

Conclusion

Grizzly bears will win a fight with a giant panda. Despite the giant pandas’ sharp teeth and claws, we’ve seen that grizzly bears are still very powerful.

Grizzlies are bigger, heavier, faster, and way stronger than giant pandas. Giant pandas can only injure grizzlies but can’t defeat them.

The bites of grizzlies are very damaging. Their blows on the other hand are not something a giant panda will love to experience. It’s just too dangerous!

Giant pandas are known to be very shy creatures and will walk away from any fight if possible. 

This is just one of the reasons they stick to eating their bamboos and avoiding competition they’ll face if they hunt for meat. 

So, even though they are among the bear family, going one on one with a grizzly bear would be a crazy thing to do.