(NewsNation) — Ripe fruit is an integral part of the diet of wild chimpanzees, as they routinely eat an amount equaling about 10% of their body weight daily. And because this fruit often is undergoing natural fermentation, they are ingesting a surprising quantity of alcohol — the equivalent, according to scientists, of a person drinking two cocktails per day.
Researchers studied chimpanzees at two sites — one in Uganda in East Africa and another in Ivory Coast in West Africa — and measured the alcohol content of the fermented ripe fruits they consume regularly. The scientists then calculated that the chimps, based on their usual food intake, may ingest every day 14 grams of ethanol, the principal type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages.
But like every party, there’s a buzzkill. Researchers say it’s unlikely any of the primates will end up with a lampshade on their head.
“Chimpanzees are really limited in the amount of alcohol exposure by how fast they can eat and how much of the fruit they can fit into their stomachs,” said UC Berkeley lead researcher Aleksey Maro. “So it’s kind of a speed limit on alcohol abuse in the wild. But that said, the estimate that we made is just an average. And so sometimes when fruits are more available, chimpanzees can eat higher amounts of fruit; maybe, if they’re more fermented, they might get higher concentrations. Then we don’t know if there’s an effect on their behavior, but it’s tantalizing to think of it as a possibility.”
Reuters contributed to this report.