Animals and Alcohol

Capuchin monkey eating fruits. Credit: Julia Casorso.

Anecdotes from around the world describe wild animals—everything from wasps to songbirds to baboons—acting drunk after feeding on fermented fruits. But these incidents are assumed to be rare and accidental, and the scientific literature largely treats alcohol consumption as a uniquely human behavior.

Now, a team of researchers are challenging this view. They cite growing evidence that fruit- and nectar-eating animals likely consume ethanol (or ethyl alcohol) on a regular basis - though the reasons are understudied.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: Why Do Animals Drink Alcohol?