Researchers have collected footage of chimpanzees seeking out and sharing alcoholic fruit.
In a study recently published in Current Biology, researchers captured video footage of chimpanzees gathering around a fermented African breadfruit in Cantanhez National Park in Guinea-Bissau.
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This new documentation suggested to researchers that “the sharing, and dietary incorporation, of ethanol-containing foods is extensive and may have played a long-standing role in hominoid societies,” the study reads, highlighting that it’s possible chimps could like to de-stress with alcohol, like some humans do.
Researchers found that the alcohol content in the fruits from T. africana trees ranges from 0.01 to 0.61% on average. They used a portable breathalyzer to measure the alcohol content and found that late-ripe fruits were significantly more alcoholic than their early-ripe counterparts.
The study added that to observe the chimpanzees, researchers had to hide cameras in three locations because the wild chimps are unaccustomed to humans. Through the lens, researchers discovered that chimpanzees consistently opted for the alcoholic T. africana fruit over less boozy fruits.
“Chimpanzees were seen to regularly select and feed on T. africana fruits when available. Sharing was observed on 10 separate occasions, and between 17 individuals across all age and sex classes. At the time of sharing, 90% of the shared fruits contained ethanol,” the study reported.
Anna Bowland/Cantanhez Chimpanzee Project/University of Exeter
Chimpanzees sharing alcoholic fruit.
Researchers found that 90% of all instances in which fruit was shared were “passive,” meaning that the chimpanzee in control of the fruit allows others to take from it but does not actually offer fruit to other chimpanzees. Half of all witnessed sharing events saw chimpanzees selecting late-ripening fruits or fruits with a higher alcohol content.
The footage collected for the study showed chimpanzees using tools like “cleavers and anvils” to access the fruit at times.
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Anna Bowland/Cantanhez Chimpanzee Project/University of Exeter
Chimpanzees sharing alcoholic fruit.
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The study’s authors noted that the chimpanzees’ familiarity with each other, and thus their willingness to share, could be attributed to familial connection — though researchers had no way of knowing if the chimps were related. Another theory is that, since alcohol can sometimes “reduce stress levels and trigger the endorphin system,” the fruit may be encouraging social behavior.
Researchers conclude that, as fermented fruits are common throughout nature, the witnessed behavior is likely to extend to other hominoids, like great apes.
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