Ain’t No Buzz Like A “Jobo Buzz”!

Doing a little partying this weekend? A new study has found that you aren’t the only one who likes booze. Animals do too (and no, I’m not talking about the beer your dog licked up after you drunkenly spilled it all over the floor). The research is complicated, but animals will eat fruits and nectar from naturally fermented fruits. Most fermented fruits only reach 1% to 2% ABV, but some levels can get as high as 10.2% ABV (which is basically an imperial stout), so some lucky critters are getting TANKED.

Most of the time, the animals aren’t actually trying to get inebriated, but there are some indications that they’re actually chasing a buzz. Male fruit flies were found to increase their alcohol consumption after being rejected by a mate. And females were less selective in choosing a mate after consuming ethanol. Other studies have found that primates are well aware of fermented fruit . . . and black-handed spider monkeys have been observed routinely seeking out jobo tree fruits which were ripe enough to contain alcohol.