Researchers have observed wild chimpanzees sharing and consuming fermented fruit containing alcohol in Guinea-Bissau's Cantanhez National Park. This behavior, documented by a team from the University of Exeter, marks the first evidence of apes sharing alcoholic food.
The study, published in "Current Biology," details how chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) of various ages and sexes participated in consuming the fruit of the African breadfruit tree (Treculia africana). Most of the tested fruits contained up to 0.61 percent alcohol.
While it remains unclear if this low concentration of alcohol causes intoxication in chimpanzees, the behavior supports the idea that consuming ethanol-containing foods is more common in wild animals than previously thought. Researchers suggest this could be a primal form of celebration, strengthening social bonds through shared consumption.