Mother bear fights off Royal Bengal Tiger to protect cub in viral jungle encounter, watch

An encounter captured on video shows a mother sloth bear confronting a Royal Bengal Tiger to protect her cub in what appears to be a forest in India. Although the exact location and time of the incident remain unconfirmed, the video has gone viral on social media, drawing wide admiration for the bear's fierce maternal instincts.

In the incident, a sloth bear cub wandered through the jungle, accidentally straying into the path of a tiger. The predator attempted an attack, reportedly, but the mother bear quickly intervened. Standing her ground despite being significantly smaller, she confronts the tiger head-on, managing to scare it away after a tense standoff. At one point, the cub is seen clinging to her back as she chases the tiger to assert dominance.

Strength Versus Size

While the Royal Bengal Tiger can weigh up to 225 kg and has a bite force of around 1,050 PSI, the sloth bear, especially a female, typically weighs about 58 kg and has a bite force of up to 800 PSI. A tiger’s paw swipe is powerful enough to fracture a bear’s skull or spine. Despite this, the mother bear did not back down, reportedly even chasing the tiger for a short distance.

Social Media Reacts

The incident has sparked widespread attention online. Viewers have hailed the bear as a symbol of maternal bravery, with many commenting, “Truly, there is no safer place than a mother’s lap.”

Although the bear appears to be a sloth bear, there is no confirmed identification yet due to the video’s low resolution.