Originally Posted by
Kaleredar
Your understanding of how ecosystems work seems a little faulty.
First and foremost, yes, it would compete with the tigers, 100%. The lions might not be a viable population in the long run, but they'd certainly drag the tigers down with them.
Second, no prey item in Siberia is adapted to dealing with pack-hunting animals larger than wolves.
And consequently, it would 100% be an invasive species. These lions didn't just go extinct in the past ~200 years or so, and being from the area at some long-gone time in the past has nothing to do with with whether they'd be disruptive or not. The ecosystem and its animals have adjusted for more than 10,000 years to a habitat where large, pack-hunting predators do not exist. Siberian tigers filled the niche of apex predator, and they've come into risk. Their niche and the roll they play in the ecosystem is already jeopardized; exacerbating the imbalance does nothing but stress the balance of every living there there.