The Far Side has countless comic strips featuring animals. Moreover, it also has many strips that show the fight between animals and humans. The Far Side creator Gary Larson has definitely made it no secret that he prefers animals to humans in his comic strips.

However, Larson takes things a step further, as only he knows how to, creating a slew of comics that show a clear-cut winner in the battle between animals and humans, where humans are surely not the winner. Whether it be animals that everyone knows pose a very real threat to humans, like leopards, grizzly bears, and pythons, or The Far Side offering more surprising winners in the animal and human showdowns, there are several hilarious comic strips that show animals winning over humans.

10 "Whoa, Frank"

January 16th, 1984

After standing up, a horrified elephant points out to his buddy Frank that he sat on something that he should not have: a human! Squashed on the elephant's butt, the human was definitely bested by the oblivious elephant. It may have been unintentional, but the animal beat the human in this case, helped by the sheer size alone of the elephant.

Frank meant no harm, but that does not mean much to the squished human who is stuck to Frank's rear end. Elephants are usually quite gentle creatures, so the fact that Frank has done so much damage, all accidentally, is not outside the realm of reality; something that is not too common in The Far Side, where everything is usually turned on its head or twisted to surreal proportions.

9 "Python Escapes Zoo"

May 24th, 1987

The Far Side loves to add a dark or cynical twist to what is typically regarded as wholesome source material. Fairy tales are especially a beloved source of work that The Far Side loves to pull from for comic strips and to make them more macabre than ever. One Far Side strip is a perfect example of how fairy tales can take dark turns.

As Snow White makes her way back to the cottage, she is reading a newspaper with ta headline about a python snake that has escaped from the zoo. Little did she know, she was about to walk into the cottage to see all her seven dwarf friends swallowed up by the python that had been wreaking havoc since its escape. The snake won against the humans in this strip, despite the humans being main characters in a classic fairy tale.

8 "Bear!"

October 2nd, 1984

A shark uses its wits to trick a family into coming into the water by screaming that there was a bear on the beach, causing them to run into the water and right into the shark's gullet. The human family of the comic were not the hardest prey to trick, because they failed to realize that bears are not exactly a beachy kind of animal, preferring forests, but their lack of intelligence was obviously to the shark's advantage.

Typically, whether in The Far Side or the real world, when an animal beats a human, it is usually due to brute strength, size, and speed. However, this comic strip marks the rare occasion where an animal is able to outsmart a human, which would actually not be the only time it has happened in The Far Side.

7 "Let's Get Back Out There and Act Like It!"

February 14th, 1986

Out in the forest during hunting season, there is all-out conflict between the humans and the animals, who try their best not to get shot. In The Far Side, when the animals seem like they are in a losing battle, a motivational speech is called for. A bear rallies his peers together for a pep talk. He emphasizes that they could go extinct if they let the humans just shoot them and trap them whenever they want.

The animals get their confidence back and are ready to go back out there and show the humans just how scary they can be.

Reaffirming who they are - animals - he insists that they go back out into the woods and show the humans just how fearsome they can be. After that rousing speech, the animals get their confidence back and are ready to go back out there and show the humans just how scary they can be.

6 "I'm Through Begging"

June 3rd, 1987

Anyone with a dog knows that it is a common sight to see a dog begging for some food or even some table scraps while people eat. However, in The Far Side, one particular dog has reached the end of his rope when it comes to begging. In the strip, a dog pulls a gun on his owner while he eats some food, insisting that he will not be begging any longer.

This dog has been pushed to the edge with all his years of begging, having to turn to extreme measures to insist on never begging - never ever again. The "Man's Best Friend" label for this feisty canine is no longer fitting, but the dog will finally get to enjoy the sought-after benefits of no longer having to beg.

5 "Think There Are Any Bears in This Old Cave?"

September 18th, 1984

A bear tells a story to their two cubs using some physical props to add an interesting element to the tale. Suggesting the fates of the humans Bob and Jim, the bear acts as them, using their skulls to achieve better storytelling for its kids, with Jim questioning if there are any bears in the cave while Bob suggests that they take a look inside to see.

The reader knows all too well what happened to poor Bob and Jim, with bears obviously in the cave, which the two humans found out the hard way. Based on the skulls and piles of bones in the cave by the bears, it is clear to see who won this round in the great fight of human vs. bear. While it is nice that the bear is telling their cubs a bedtime story, doing so with fresh skulls is a bit macabre.

4 "The Greatest Expressions"

November 13th, 1984

A leopard educates another leopard on how to pounce on prey. The leaprod shares that if they roar just as they leap, it will elicit some fantastic reactions, since humans are responsible for some great expressions according to the more experienced leopard. Since the two leopards are perched dangerously close to a man walking by, and they are making plans for their pounce, things do not look too good for the human.

The leopard of The Far Side knows how to go for the drama, insisting that the roar and leap are done at the same time to elicit the maximum reaction from the human, who has a pretty bad fate waiting for him. While the readers do not see the final outcome of the leap and roar, one can infer that animals beat humans in this comic strip.

3 "You'll Never Get Away With This!"

June 24th, 1980

The caged bird may sing, but they also trick and escape, as this Far Side comic illustrates. A bird has enacted its escape plan: trapping its owner into its old cage and leaving her locked inside while the bird flies away to freedom. The bird has won this round by getting its escape, but its owner is bent on revenge, so who knows what will end up happening to the now-free bird?

Humans are not exactly known for their intelligence and problem-solving skills.

Done with captivity, the bird must be one super-genius canary to come up with such a foolproof plan to lure its owner into the cage and then fly out before she has noticed she is trapped. The other option is also that the bird's owner is just super dumb, which is definitely a possibility in The Far Side, where humans are not exactly known for their intelligence and problem-solving skills.

2 "Harpoon"

March 23rd, 1982

A whale gets a harpoon shot into its nose while the shooter of said harpoon is in the animal's mouth. The human may have tried to get one last hit in by shooting the harpoon in the whale's nose, but the whale is pretty obviously the victor in this animal vs. human showdown from The Far Side.

The poor guy never stood a chance against this behemoth of an animal. Many creative works showcase the whale's fearsome qualities, like Monstro in Pinocchio, and, of course, Moby Dick. Given the size of the whale, the man was doomed from the start, even with a harpoon by his side. Moreover, the harpoon has barely made a dent in the whale, with the animal completely nonplussed by the sharp tool in its nose.

1 " Me, Mr. Schneider?"

November 24th, 1984

In a scene befitting a classic noir movie, a guy gets his mail as a shady elephant bathed in shadows makes his presence known, reminding the man that he was once shot at by the human in Kenya, 1947. Ready to get revenge, the elephant makes the comment that if one is going to shoot an elephant, they had better finish the job, showing that this elephant has never forgotten the hit on his life.

It is a scientific fact that elephants have excellent memories (although not totally infallible, as some myths claim), something that Larson calls back to in the funniest way possible in this strip where one elephant is out for vengeance. The elephant cornered Mr. Schneider, so the outcome does not look like it will go in the human's favor in this Far Side strip.