Well according to most, leopards cant kill a tiger because the tiger is bigger, stronger, heavier, longer, with bigger claws, paws, harder bite ect ect...but one thing is fact, the tiger is not protected any more than the leopard is at the throat, belly and other vital insta kill spots. People assume the leopard would explode on impact if the tiger even nips the leopard, but this isnt the case, as leopards are the most current diverse big cat to have faced the widest diveristy of todays inter specific conflicts...so knowledge and experince is whats on his side. The leopard also can kill things that out weight your average tiger 4 times heavier than the largest sub-species of tigers, Giant eland:
So the whole power struggle argument is rather weak, it will depend on who can get to the throat first, the leopard being faster, having more dexterity, more flexible and alot more agile, seems to hold the leverage in terms killing the other. Here are a few instances leopards have killed tigers:
Leopard kills 4 year old tigress ~The hindu times
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/tiger-leopard-found-dead-in-mudumalai-tiger-reserve/article1452183.ece
Already within the steel inclosure was a great, heavy bodied tiger, and the look of searching ceasefed... struggling in vain as it sought to loosen the hold of a leopard at its throat, for Beauty bad attacked again. Five shots were left and Delaine fired them all at the two beasts which came at him in one. Beauty clinging grimly to the Bengal’s throat... Crowds. The madness of panic—then quiet. Beauty was back in her cage again, licking at the clawmarks on her shoulders and breast, yowling softly now and then with the pain of it, but in her brain the tugging pain had ceased and there was peace. Beauty had killed a murderer—
lions have killed polar bears, small leopard has killed a
large tiger. Usually a Polar bear can kill any of the big cats
page 204-205 -
Tiger killed by leopard in fight in circus arena at Peru
https://books.google.com/books?id=gP0CAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA9&dq=Tiger+killed+by+leopard+in+fight+in+circus+arena+at+Peru&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8mO4VIunGoynyATP04DoAQ&ved=0CAYQ6AEwAA
Chita meant to hold on until he felt his teeth meet in his opponent's windpipe. And through all the terrible struggle. Diogenes, the Numldlan lion, sat on his pedestal, lazy, goodnatured, only calmly Interested in the life and death fight of his fierce fellow pupils. "When the circus men separated the two big cats the Bengal tiger was dead, and the black panther, torn In twenty pieces, was dying. Carmen was unhurt, except for a few slight bruises caused by her fall on the floor of the cage.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:QACJxgKTyucJ:http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/46552793/+site:newspapers.com+lion+bengal+tiger+enclosure+fought&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&prmd=ivns&strip=1
http://www.circushistory.org/ShowWorld/SW07Sep1907p7HW.jpg
While being held down the leopard clawed the tiger's breast until there were great wide gashes in the big animal, which soon began to weaken. Continuing its clawing, the leopard, finished its enemy by tearing out the tiger's vital organs. Then the leopard, torn and bleeding, fell exhausted beside the dead body of its adversary. The trainer and other attaches of the circus say the growls and howls and howls of the other animals during the battle were terrific and the excitement was intense.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:cH85mGeBXcsJ:http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/35726722/+site:newspapers.com+The+combatants+were+a+big+Bengal+tiger+and+a+young+leopard,+and&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&prmd=ivns&strip=1
http://books.google.com/books?id=07s2AQAAIAAJ&pg=PA250&dq=tiger+leopard+fight+menagerie&hl=en&sa=X&ei=A4mRUrvsB8_3oASx2oHADw&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAg
As I increased my group by bringing in new animals, of course, there were troubles. The creatures would fight, at times, and I had to make peace with the whip and the pistol. I have never used any red hot irons and don't approve of them. Sometimes a beast was killed. One of my very best performers is a leopard that has killed a cheetah, two boarhounds, a tiger and a polar bear,
http://books.google.com/books?id=-i4PAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA2554&dq=for+I+have+seen+a+small+leopard+kill+a+large+tiger,+a+lion+kill+a+polar+bear.&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DiqRU67xMI74oASHnoLgCQ&ved=0CAYQ6AEwAA
leopard disembowels tiger (Both shot after)
https://books.google.com/books?id=0IPpDUfyMikC&pg=PA15&dq=%22+throat%22+leopard+tiger+fought&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Vma4VJnlGISGyQTshIC4Dg&ved=0CAYQ6AEwAA
Leopards are known to attack and kill tigers
https://books.google.com/books?id=NAB0VtXCggIC&pg=PA77&dq=there+is+this+leopard+cat+that+attacks+tigers&hl=en&sa=X&ei=oWa4VIz7IdazyATI9ILIAw&ved=0CAYQ6AEwAA
Leopard dominates tiger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEgu272c5Ls
What about pound for pound," I asked the animal expert who has spent most of his life 'bringing 'em back alive.' "There's only one answer for that one," Buck said. "It is the black leopard, a pack of dynamite which is always looking for a fight, a lightweight that even the tiger ducks.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ff4lD7PgMXMJ:http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/39288155/+site:newspapers.com+frank+buck+leopard+fought+tiger&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&prmd=ivns&strip=1
If it truely was about a strength factor, then male tigers atleast would be undisputed to female tigers, who on a common logic would apply the male being the stronger of the two, but still, that did not stop tigresses from killing males:
There was a full moon on the night of 10 November 1981 when a tigress and two cubs appear to have been walking down the Lahpur vallet nearly 20 kilometres from Jogi Mahal. She must have spotted an adult male tiger walking the opposite direction. Indications existed of the cubs scampering away. The tigress seemed to have conintued towards the tiger then risen and gone to sit in the sandy part of a nearby stream bed. Obviously at this moment the tgiress was doing her best to be affectionate with the male and bid him a rapid farewell before any interaction was possible between him and the cubs. But it did not work. The cubs seem to have attempted scampering back to their mother, probably finding the insecurity of separation to much to take. At this moment there must have been havoc, and some incredible vocalization was even heard in a guard post some 2 kilometres away. It appears that the male moved in a flash towards the cubs, and the mother was forced to take quick action. With a leap and a bound she attacked the male from the rear, clawing his right foreleg before sinking her canines in and killing him. It was an amazing exmaple og instinctive reaction: a tgiress killing a prime male tiger to save her cubs from possible death. The make must have been caught completelyby surprise and just succumbed. Later the tigress proceeded to open his rump, and eat off his hind leg. Tiger eating tiger: this was a rare example of a fatal interaction between time.
Tigress kills male tiger
http://www.kvia.com/news/Female-Tiger-Kills-Mate-at-El-Paso-Zoo/15246770
The, tigress hurled herself upon her companion, and. seizing him by the throat, left him dead, stretched upon the crimson sand. The tigress knew he was dead.She evidently knew, too, that she would soon be dead herself, for. she was mauled beyond recognition. . As she sat there unsteadily upon tier haunches, rooted
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:7zCQRbFCVQQJ:http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/33384513/+site:newspapers.com+two+tigers+fought+dead+throat&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&prmd=ivns&strip=1
Chennai Vadalur: A four-year-old white tiger died of head injuries when an attempt by the zoo authorities here to get him to mate with a tigress
http://archives.deccanchronicle.com/130823/news-current-affairs/article/mate-kills-male-white-tiger-zoo
Âs Keepers said the attack on Raiah was apparently a surprise, with one female going for his throat and the other attacking his hindquarters. Tried Drowning Zoo officials didn't Isarn of the fight until someone dashed into the main office saying "two tigers! arc trying to drown another one." When they reached the outdoor tiger grotto, Rajah was lying in a moat and the two females were snarling menacingly at the edge of thewater. The big tiger died shortly. The three had been together since they were kittens and never I had trouble with each other before, even at feeding time.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:d3eeArtzSeMJ:http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/10433708/+site:newspapers.com+tiger+loses+fight&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&prmd=ivns&strip=1
Shenzhen Safari Park happened the day before yesterday afternoon, "murder" in the region beast Valley dissipate into the atmosphere more than just being playful slapstick Bengal tiger, which one male and one female Bengal tiger self-fulfilling prophecy when playing, to become a real fight, Breeder summoned for vixen veterinary first aid, but [because the wound is too deep, where he died.
Guangdong "Yangcheng Evening News"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEArFUqhoc8
Tigress named Princess kills large male tiger:
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=ST18940104.2.22
Tigress dominates male tiger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TABMdrMi9Go
After the tigress realized her meal had been stolen, she laid in wait for the offending tiger to return. The Metro reports she surprised the male, then slashed him with her right paw. Seven seconds later, the tiger fight ended and--despite his larger size--the male fled.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/11/tigress-fights-tiger-over-meal_n_1874552.html
Q. Which is the fiercest fighter, the female tiger or the male? A. Female, evidently. When she has a litter, the male oftentimes tries to kill the cubs. But can't Not with her there.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:jP3LwdwL48QJ:http://pantagraph.newspapers.com/newspage/72563963/+site:newspapers.com+female+tiger+kills+male&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&prmd=ivns&strip=1
A tigress in India attacked and killed a male tiger that threatened her cubs
https://books.google.com/books?id=np_kyv3F-I0C&pg=PA28&lpg=PA28&dq=tigress+kills+male+tiger&source=bl&ots=I455cysvRq&sig=SwhiVHHwSB8RB23a-e8nI6kQlYU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ufDCVJ2fGoLLoAS63IGwDg&ved=0CA0Q6AEwBDgK
The leopard to me diserves more credit as it actually is well rounded for survival, to where wild dogs and hyenas cant stand against him one on one, if the leopard is against odds, he is smart enough to take to trees, as there are very few accounts of hyenas killing leopards, but there is alot accounts of wild dogs killing tigers:
http://teamauthority.myfastforum.org/about743.html
Leopards are capable of killing formidable animals too:
The panther had torn off the gorilla's right arm and was clawing and chewing at his victim as the ape fought flat on his 'back.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:gs8_fFim62AJ:http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/30231236/+site:newspapers.com+panther+fought+gorilla+arm&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&prmd=ivns&strip=1
Leopard kills gorillas
http://www.berggorilla.org/en/gorillas/general/everyday-life/do-gorillas-have-enemies/
I no longer think of the tiger as the prince of the jungle let alone some call him King, when a King is suppose to rule, not be ruled... although I do think of the tiger as the most beautiful color patterned of the big cats, I lean more to the leopard in overall prowess. I also think the general consenses of worldly views of the lion as King and not the tiger, is...if you think about it, is size via mass really what elects a King, Raja, Tsar, Momarch Cheif ect...?...No, its a combiniation of leadership, prowess, power, smarts, combined with heiarchy, majestic looks (not to be confused with beauty), valour, and most important Magnanimity. Just thought I share the true facts on leopards vs tigers, as some sites like carnivoraforum is hilarious since they think fights are only ever close when things are parity, having instead not caring about the actual truth...but instead wants to play expert and say sheeple tendancy's like bigger, stronger...win...as most dont think its possible, with that notion less people will even bother to look for something that is pretty much right dead smack in front of them, as I think there could be inverse hundreds of times leopards have killed tigers.
Afterall, most like to imagine tigers average 1,000 lbs and can slay one ton bears, and kill bull elephants all by them selves...when in fact the largest population of bengal tigers via sundarbans, are actually roughly the same size as the leopard himself:
http://archive.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=156957
If a leopard can kill massive 500+ lb tiger, I think on the tigers true averages (all sub-species combined) the leopard has a shot. Or you could go back to thinking in the fantasy land that a leopard will blow up into a million peices if a tiger nips him because the tiger is bigger and stronger, and that tigers weigh tons, are as long as a small bus and kill bull elephants so that means it would take 20 leopards to kill a tiger. lol No, it only takes one small, young, female leopard to kill a full grown male bengal tiger straight from the wild...as shown.
Edited by Prime - 23-Jan-2015 at 20:42