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It is unclear whether the chimpanzees really consumed the alcohol deliberately. (theme picture)
Keystone
For the first time, researchers say they have observed wild chimpanzees sharing alcoholic fruit. The predominantly British research team filmed this behavior in the Cantanhez National Park in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa.
The chimpanzees shared the fermented pumpkin-shaped fruit of the okwa tree, also known as the African breadfruit tree. The team led by Anna Bowland from the University of Exeter filmed this behavior on several occasions.
The majority of the fruits examined on the ground - 24 out of 28 - had an alcohol content that reached a maximum of 0.61 percent. In 9 of the 10 observations where the apes shared this food, the fruit contained alcohol.
Chimpanzees of both sexes and different ages were involved. "Our data provide the first evidence for the sharing of alcohol-containing food by great apes," the group writes in the journal "Current Biology". It is unclear whether the alcohol was actually consumed intentionally.
22.04.2025, 05:48
