Wild Chimpanzees Like to Socialise With Alcoholic Fruit

Humans have gathered to enjoy a tipple together for millennia, and new research indicates that chimpanzees may also enjoying bonding with a boozy treat.

Chimps sharing some boozy breadfruit | University of Exeter

Wild chimpanzees in west Africa have been observed sharing fruit containing alcohol - not in quantities to get roaring drunk but probably sufficient for a mellow beer buzz feeling. The researchers, led by scientists from England's University of Exeter, caught chimpanzees on film sharing fermented African breadfruit in Guinea-Bissau’s Cantanhez national park.

“For humans, we know that drinking alcohol leads to a release of dopamine and endorphins, and resulting feelings of happiness and relaxation,” said Anna Bowland, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Exeter.

“We also know that sharing alcohol, including through traditions such as feasting, helps to form and strengthen social bonds. Now we know that wild chimpanzees are eating and sharing ethanolic fruits, the question is: could they be getting similar benefits?”

“Chimps don’t share food all the time, so this behaviour with fermented fruit might be important,” said Kimberley Hockings, also from the University of Exeter. Though the alcohol level is relatively low, the chimpanzees ate a lot of fruit every day so might ingest a fair quantity of alcohol, she said. “They can feed on kilograms of the stuff every day. It’s probably analogous to us sipping on a light beer.”

She said the number of observations was small but they could lead to “an explosion” of research into the topic.

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