Honey Badger vs. Lion: Who Would Win in a Fight?

Quick Take

A lion possesses the mass required to terminate a honey badger instantly.
The honey badger’s thick skin offers no defense against the blunt force of a lion’s paw.
Honey badgers are fierce animals, but they are no match for a lion.

A honey badger (Mellivora capensis) and a lion (Panthera leo) might seem like an unfair fight at first glance. However, these two mammals both share a range in sub-Saharan Africa, and could potentially get into a scuffle if they were to cross paths. While it seems unlikely that a honey badger could survive, let alone win, a fight with a lion, honey badgers do have some surprising defenses. Determining the victor in a fight between a honey badger and a lion requires examining numerous factors. Elements such as size, speed, and predatory behaviors will help decide which of these fierce animals would win a fight. Continue reading to examine these two creatures in-depth to determine which animal would emerge victorious in a fight.

Comparing a Honey Badger and Lion

	Honey Badger	Lion
Size	Weight: 11 lbs to 40 lbs Length: 1.5 ft – 2.5 ft	Weight: 264 lbs – 550 lbs Length: 4.7 ft – 8.2 ft
Speed and Movement Type	– 19 mph – Gallops to run	-35 mph -Sprints to enemies with a galloping gait
Bite Force and Teeth	– Bite power not measured – Their teeth are sharp enough and their jaws powerful enough to bite through tortoise shells.	-650 PSI bite power -30 teeth including up to four, 4-inch canines
Defenses	– Exceptionally thick skin that resists bites, stabs, stings, and blows – Overpowering musk that can make predators flee	– Large size – Lives in a pack
Offensive Capabilities	– Sharp claws – Powerful, well-aimed bites – Can turn the tables on enemies in close quarters	-Claws -Paw strikes -Scratching -Biting
Predatory Behavior	– Directly chases and kills creatures – Digs prey out of burrows	-Primarily stalks and pounces on the opponent -Uses groups to take down prey

Honey Badger vs. Lion: Size

A larger animal usually has an advantage over a smaller one. In this case, the lion is much larger than the honey badger. A lion can be up to 10 feet long (including the tail) and weigh up to 570 pounds, while a honey badger can reach about 35 pounds and up to 2.5 feet in length

Male lion looks directly into camera — Lions are territorial and will protect their pride at great costs.
©The Len/Shutterstock.com

The lion has a major advantage.

Honey Badger vs. Lion: Speed and Movement

The honey badger is very fast for its size, capable of running 19 miles per hour (mph) in bursts. They use a galloping motion to run. Similarly, lions use a gallop to run at full speed, but lions are much faster than honey badgers, capable of running at speeds up to 50 mph in short bursts.

The lion has the advantage.

Honey Badger vs. Lion: Bite Force

Both the honey badger and lion bite prey, but one of them is stronger. The honey badger has sharp, powerful teeth that can puncture and break tortoise shells, but its bite force is not nearly as strong as a lion’s.

Honey badger's head close-up. open mouth. The fauna of Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. — Honey badgers have powerful jaws and sharp teeth.
©Melnikov Dmitriy/Shutterstock.com

A lion has 4-inch-long fangs, 30 teeth in total, and a bite force that can reach up to 1,000 PSI. That might not be the strongest, but it’s more than enough force to crush the bones of large prey.

Once again, the lion has the advantage.

Honey Badger vs. Lion: Physical Defenses

The lion is an apex predator that is protected by its size and the fact that it lives in a pack called a pride.

Honey badgers have strong defenses in the form of thick skin that is hard to cut, bite, or sting. They can twist around in their loose skin to attack predators that are holding them. They can also climb and burrow.

The honey badger finally gets the advantage.

Honey Badger vs. Lion: Offensive Capabilities

A lion’s offenses include its massive size and speed, in combination with its sharp claws and devastating bite force.

Honey badgers have sharp claws, but they prefer to use their teeth when fighting. A quick bite to the right spot can spell a quick end to a fight. However, they are still no match for a lion.

The lion has the advantage.

Honey Badger vs. Lion: Predatory Behaviors

Whether hunting in a pack to bring down large prey or using individual stealth to attack smaller prey, lions are apex predators that rarely lose a fight.

Honey badgers pursue their prey directly, either running after them or going so far as to dig them out of their burrows to feed on them.

The advantage goes to the lion.

Who Would Win in a Fight Between Honey Badger and Lion?

In a fight between a honey badger and a lion, the lion would win.

The fight could play out in a few ways. First, the lion could smell a honey badger coming, and they probably will, since the latter has a musk it sprays. The lion would pounce, overwhelm the badger, and instantly score a killing blow by breaking its back or puncturing its skull.

animals that eat their young: lion — A lion would kill a honey badger in a fight.
©iStock.com/MaggyMeyer

If the lion and honey badger just happened to run across one another, the honey badger would be agile enough to dance around a bit, taking swipes at the lion, or perhaps land a bite or two. However, the lion has more tools than just its bite. A few powerful slashes with claws or blunt force from their paws would stagger the honey badger before the fatal bite comes.

Even if the honey badger fought well, it doesn’t have the power to kill a grown lion. A honey badger would leave a scar and an unpleasant memory for a lion, but it would not be the lion’s easiest kill.