Which big cat is the most formidable predator?

From solitary ambush hunters to the fastest sprinter alive, the cat family split into wildly different survival strategies over millions of years. Which one impresses you most, and why does that one edge out the rest?

🖼️ Bigger images

𝗕 Bold text

Lion — The only cat that lives and hunts in groups; a pride can bring down prey five times the weight of a single lion

Tiger — The largest cat species alive, with big Siberian males topping 300kg (660lbs) and a bite that can crack bone

Leopard — Can haul a kill twice its own body weight up a tree to keep it away from lions and hyenas

Jaguar — Pound for pound has the strongest bite of any big cat, strong enough to pierce turtle shells and skulls directly

Cheetah — The fastest land animal on Earth at roughly 70 mph, but it can only hold that sprint for about 20-30 seconds

Snow leopard — Its tail can be nearly as long as its whole body, used as a scarf in the cold and a counterweight on cliffs

Cougar — Can leap about 18 feet in a single bound and goes by more common names than any other animal: cougar, puma, mountain lion, catamount

Lynx — Its tufted ears work like tiny satellite dishes, picking up a mouse rustling under snow from meters away

Clouded leopard — Has the longest canine teeth relative to skull size of any living cat, proportioned closer to an extinct saber-tooth than to a lion's

Caracal — Can leap over 10 feet straight up to snatch birds out of mid-air

Optional photo for your new option. Take one or choose from your device. Shown as a 200 x 200 pixel thumbnail, cropped from the centre.

✨ Vote to reveal a bonus tea Easter egg!

Submit Anonymous