Elephants Partying In The African Wilderness Were Caught In The Act Getting Drunk On Fermented Fruit
Quickly, off the top of your head, what do you know about elephants? They're 'gentle' giants, they have great long-term memory, and they love their booze!
The first fact is, elephants in general are peace-loving creatures! Despite their intimidating size and strength, these mammals will cause you no harm unless you threaten it.
Second, it's false that they never forget anything but elephants do have incredible memory. They can recognize all the members of their clan or humans and other animals they bonded with years ago.
The third and more controversial fact is, elephants get rowdy in the wild! According to stories from the African savanna, elephants eat fermented fruits until they get drunk.
Their favorite fermented fruit is called the marula fruit. It grows abundantly on the woodlands of East Africa, Madagascar, and some parts of West Africa.
The marula fruit is similar in size to a plum. When they are ripe, they turn into a golden yellow color, white on the inside and a sour or tart flavor.
When the ripe fruits fall on the ground, the fermentation process starts and that's when elephants eat it to get their booze on. They eat plenty of the fruit because food can be scarce in the desert and any type of food is essential to their survival.
It just so happens that the fermented marula fruit can make elephants drunk which can be fun to watch. Like we don't have enough reasons to love elephants more, it turns out they love booze just as much as humans do!
I'm gonna lie down for just a sec... just a sec
Researchers first thought that the 'elephants getting drunk story' was just a popular folklore in Africa. This story is so popular that it has inspired brands of food and non-food items to name their products after it.
Ross Couper and SingitaYou don't look okay bro?
However, recent studies have shown that although elephants can process their alcohol, they can't handle it! Their bodies don't efficiently metabolize alcohol, hence the partying like it's the end of the world.
Ross Couper and SingitaWe're just a little tipsy, nothing to see here! Move along!
Ross Couper and SingitaWoah! Our house doesn't have a roof! Look at the sky!
Ross Couper and SingitaI'll be fine, I need to walk it off
These drunk elephants don't have the ADH7 gene which helps mammals, like humans, efficiently metabolize alcohol. This evolutionary lapse is now the source of endless entertainment.
Just look at those gentle giants struggling to get on their feet! It looks like a typical Friday night out among friends!
Ross Couper and SingitaYeah, let's go walk. We need fresh air and probably coffee
Ross Couper and SingitaNope, lying down it is!
Ross Couper and Singita
Man, walking it off didn't work. The ground is our best friend now!
This image looks too familiar. Replace those elephants with humans and it could be any one of us!
It's that night out feeling where you're trying to convince your friends that you're not that drunk. Meanwhile, they make fun of you while being drunk themselves.
In the end, you end up piled up somewhere trying your best to fight liquor-induced gravity. Somebody call a cab!
Ross Couper and Singita
You can watch the full funny video here. Trust that drunk elephants are funnier in motion:
This is another reason why elephants are so endearing! They're generally gentle and like us, they like to get their drink on!
Sun's out, trunks out indeed! These gentle, loving creatures are poster boys for drinking responsibly and happily.
