This is not an endurance match, if the gorilla kills more than 3 of the bodybuilders the chances that the remaining 9 go down dramatically.

Besides the reason that humans are the best long distance animals is due to our ability to sweat. That is not going to come into factor here. Read my last post for why humans stand >0% chance of winning.

If the humans are able to plan their attack then I think they can take down the gorilla. If I was some part of a tag team beat up a gorilla to the death squad, the one thing I would do is go for the eyes. Blind the gorilla it's game over. Same applies to any wild animal

silverback gorrilla

yikes scary


gorilla all the way imo

Does Chuck Norris count as a human? If so I'd say 1v1 is a fair fight.

Yeah, if the gorilla uses its standard fighting protocol, that would greatly improve the men's chances. But if the gorilla comes out in berserker mode, the men will need to get lucky somehow. They need a stable relationship to the ground and a fixed plane of motion to generate serious power. The gorilla, on the other hand, can rip an arm off by just grabbing and pulling; or destroy a face by biting.

Overall, I like Bluegrassplayer's analysis.

if anything this thread should inspire hope that so many people have such faith in humanity.

kinda misplaced hopium, but hope nevertheless.

There has to be some African billionaire prince who will put up the money to make this happen. Thing is, it would have to be done "Running Man" style. No amount of money would convince even the strongest human alive to take part for the simple reason he knows in a 1v1 situation he's a meat potato.

a 250lbs. bodybuilder does not weigh ~400lbs. Big difference.

Humans are civilized animals and that makes a huge difference, both positive and negative.

I'm an animal but I can tell you right now I couldn't do what that chimp did to another person... point is that humans no longer have that animal instinct.

I'm pretty sure that once the gorilla rips the first guy to shreds its gonna make the other guys flinch...

I'm in the boat that its not impossible, but at a minimum several guys are going down and its heavily favored for the gorilla... saying that 6 guys is a fair fight is very laughable.

Another factor is that these are strongmen - not soldiers. Anyone who deals with death/high stress situations undergoes YEARS of training. To automatically assume you throw in strongmen, they have time to prepare a plan, they are psychologically ready for what they are going to see, and have the muscle memory to know how to react in every scenario, is a joke.

Look at the seals, gb, pararescue, and other branches of service. 2 months qualification program proceeded by 2 years training.

Strongmen? Oh, go to the gym and work out on a schedule.

It seems clear that the gorilla would be a significant favorite under the described circumstances. What's surprising to me is just how powerful a gorilla is. I think that the information presented in this thread sways my position on the classic BEAR! VS! GORILLA! match-up. Previously, I had the bear as a large favorite, but the more I think about it, the more I think a properly motivated gorilla should be at least even money.

If that were the case the wouldn't humans be dragging malamutes around on a sled for iditarod.

I don't want to be a prick and start leveling cuz you guys seem pretty firm on this statement. I can think of numerous species that would easily outpace the greatest endurance runners over two hundred miles.

If you have evidence to the contrary...

I am afraid I must recant my previous statement about humans having no chance. I completely forgot about Chuck Norris...

afro:

Theres still people in South America who hunt animals by just scaring them and chasing the animal until it collapses from exhaustion. It's more because the animals lack a good heat ventilation system like humans have. But really that's not important. The gorilla isn't some video game monster that either has 1 health and is alive or 0 health and is dead. If more than a few body builders die then they lose all of their ability to get the gorilla on its back and actually inflict any damage.

Wouldn't horses be just one example of an animal that is considered to have better stamina than humans?

The way you say this makes it sound like there's going to be plenty of animals with better stamina than humans, when that isn't the case, and humans are better than almost all animals (if not all) when it comes to this particular attribute.

http://pda.physorg.com/_news95954919.html

The iditarod is unique because it is run in sub zero conditions humans are not suited for. I think the scientific consensus is that humans are extraordinarily well suited for hot weather endurance running. While most animals, including dogs, require panting to get rid of excess heat and to prevent heat stroke, humans are hairless and can sweat.

Another article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/health/27well.html

The OP may have not been clear, but this is not 12 Kenyans challenging a silverback gorilla to a 50 mile race across asphalt. It is a fight to the death. After the gorilla defaces (literally) the first six or seven guys, he can take a freakin nap if he wants to.

I don't think any of this particularly applies to the human/gorilla melee (unless it takes place in an open jungle where the humans might be able to chase the ape around until it dies), but it is pretty much a fact that humans are near the top of the endurance running list among all species. Especially in warm climates.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persistence_hunting

Yeah, the endurance thing probably doesn't come into play. Unless, like I mentioned, the humans have a whole jungle to work with and they are able to actually scare the gorilla into running away somehow. But then you'd want 12 Masai warriors for the job, not 12 bodybuilders.

In any case, it is incorrect to underestimate human endurance as many posters ITT have done.

Horses are pretty good, but a human will beat one in a marathon on a hot day. Make the distance 50 or 100 miles and the human pwns ainec.

birds tho

Endurance running tho (SC means compared to other land animals obv)

Although these guys are pretty legit

Nah I think the bear face-rapes the gorilla pretty easily. The size difference alone should be enough, and good luck trying to rip a bear's limb from its socket

I think as the question is posed the gorilla rarely loses, with 12 guys such as somethingclever suggested and motivation and fear elements removed (from both sets of competitors) the silver-back is still a heavy favourite.

After reading the gorilla bone composition, the problem the humans will have is that they individually will not be able to exert enough pressure on the gorilla to break anything, as numbers increase they cant exert that pressure in exactly the same spot so it becomes increasingly less useful.

I'm pretty sure a silver back could take a lion, and a lion ate 200 beastiari. I think the only way humans win this fight is not with numbers, but with macro factors (as we have over the course of history).

Since they're endangered i would be more annoyed at seeing the silver-back have a risk of getting killed than 12 powerlifters/bodybuilders/mma fighters etc..., biting the dust.

+1. When picturing the level of rage for the Gorilla, I've been figuring it'll be fighting like you're threatening its young. Apply that standard to the bear and its big trouble for just about any animal in the world except elephant and hippo. Adult female grizzlies can be over 400 lbs, males close to 800, with outliers being reported at 1500 (!) lbs. Make one of those things believe you're a threat to its young and it's all over, baby.