A study from the University of Exeter reveals that wild chimpanzees in Guinea-Bissau enjoy consuming and sharing fermented fruit, which contains alcohol. This suggests that alcohol consumption may benefit social bonding among chimps in a manner akin to humans. Filmed over ten occasions, the chimpanzees were seen eating African breadfruit, which has an alcohol content of up to 0.61% ABV. While the long-term effects on chimp metabolism remain unclear, the researchers propose this could represent an early stage in social feasting behavior.
The findings suggest that, like humans, wild chimpanzees may engage in alcohol consumption for social bonding, indicating shared evolutionary behaviors between the species.
According to Anna Bowland, sharing alcohol, such as through feasting traditions, contributes to forming and strengthening social bonds among humans, raising questions about chimps.
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