Chimps naturally consume alcohol from ripe fruit, study shows

Wild chimpanzees in Côte d'Ivoire and Uganda ingest the equivalent of a bottle of lager's alcohol each day through eating ripe, naturally fermented fruits like figs and plums, a new study reveals. Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, say this supports the "drunken monkey" hypothesis, that humans inherited their taste for alcohol from primate ancestors who relied on fermented fruit for food. The study found chimps consume around 14 grams of ethanol daily, though not enough to become intoxicated. Scientists say this behavior highlights deep evolutionary roots linking diet, social bonding, and alcohol attraction.