Overview

• Motion-activated cameras in Cantanhez National Park captured wild chimpanzees sharing fermented African breadfruit containing up to 0.61% alcohol by volume.
• This marks the first documented evidence of non-human great apes sharing alcoholic foods in the wild, suggesting parallels with human feasting traditions.
• Researchers propose that the behavior may foster social bonding, as alcohol consumption in humans is linked to dopamine and endorphin release.
• The study raises questions about whether chimps deliberately seek ethanol-rich fruits and how their metabolism processes alcohol without causing intoxication.
• Scientists suggest this behavior may represent early evolutionary stages of feasting, highlighting the deep roots of human convivial traditions.