With polar bears, the only thing an ambush is likely to change is what mood the bear is in when it kills you.
Mood = happy.
Surprise free snack.
Aren't we apex predators? We still have fight/flight/freeze instincts, so my unscientific guess is lions are scaredy cats.
ETA: mandatory don't mess with lions you will die
ETA: mandatory don't mess with lions you will die
Not these guys. But what I'm not clear on is what would happen if they jumped out of the bushes behind them and yelled "BOO!". Also, lions are pretty tame and predictable compared to tigers. Tigers have a much lower bullshit tolerance.
It depends on the animal and its mood, and how territorial it is. A lion will probably freak out and run. A polar bear, or really most bears, might jump in surprise, but then either try to fuck you up, ignore you, or just wander off. Same with a moose.
I've seen black bears run from me before. They're the most docile of the bears though, and they stopped running when they were at what I assume they considered a safe distance.
How does that rhyme go again? If it's black, fight back; if it's brown, lie down; if it's white, say goodnight?
I don't know about a tiger or polar bear, but I'd personally scream, turn red, and then get angry.
Cherry flavored Hulk?
I'd go for an "it depends" answer. If they are just out and about looking for food, most would probably run. No animal wants to risk injury and fighting with an unknown enemy carries too much risk. So, their instincts will likely make them run. However, if you do it near their den and/or young, the instinctual calculus may be very different and you could end up as an impromptu baby snack.
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