Many of us have heard stories of elephants eating fermented marula fruits and then subsequently getting drunk. Some of these accounts date back to 1839, where the Zulu people would say that “elephants gently warm their brains with fermented fruits”. This article will explore the science behind this “myth” including some fascinating new discoveries that could open the debate up once again.
Animals that like to get high
While the rumours of intoxicated elephants have sparked intense debates over the years, there are certain animals with enough credible evidence to suggest that they do indeed use natural methods to “get high”.
In 2014, a BBC documentary featured footage of adolescent bottlenose dolphins gently chewing on a pufferfish. Pufferfish, when attacked, release a neurotoxin that can be deadly in high doses; however, in small doses, it has a narcotic effect. The video then shows the dolphins happily swimming upside down, seemingly captivated by their reflections on the water’s surface.
Dolphins, characterized by their high intelligence, complex social structures, extensive communication, and remarkable memories, share these attributes with one of Africa’s most renowned mammals—the elephant. This prompts the question: could there be a possibility that elephants have discovered natural ways to experience a state of euphoria, akin to dolphins?
The tragic story of Jumbo the elephant
A fascinating and tragic story that I would recommend everyone read is the tale of Jumbo the Elephant, a male African savannah elephant taken from Sudan after poachers killed his mother. Brought to the London Zoo in Victorian Britain, Jumbo became a star attraction and would give rides to children on his back, including a young Winston Churchill.
Jumbo soon became uncontrollable as he matured and entered musth, a period of heightened testosterone for male elephants that usually leads to increased aggression.
For this reason London Zoo sold Jumbo to a circus, where the head showman, P.T. Barnum, gave him vast amounts of alcohol to control him and make him more docile.
Jumbo’s story is a sad tale of abuse and mistreatment, but there are many accounts suggesting that he enjoyed the alcohol, with some proposing that it was to cope with extreme mouth pain since Jumbo’s teeth were not naturally being worn away due to his unnatural diet.
The story highlights that elephants are physically able to get drunk if given alcohol. However, what about the myth of wild elephants becoming intoxicated by eating naturally occurring fermented fruits?
Myth put to rest?
Well in 2006, biologists from the University of Bristol seemingly “put the myth to rest”. They showed it would be impossible to reach a level of intoxication by eating marula fruits, using evidence based on how many marula fruits would be needed to get a human drunk the scientists found to get an elephant tipsy they would need to consume “400 percent the normal maximum food intake” of marula fruits.
This calculation seemingly, discounted years and years of anecdotal evidence to suggest that elephants actually did get drunk, with the head scientist stating “people just want to believe in drunk elephants”.
Drunk elephants
However, recent research into the genetics of elephants suggests that the myth may not be as conclusively debunked as scientists once believed. In 2020, a group of researchers studying tree shrews made a peculiar discovery—these animals could consume large amounts of alcohol without experiencing inebriating effects.
The scientists identified a specific gene, the ADH7 gene, responsible for the ability to break down ethanol. Subsequent genetic research revealed that humans and African primates possess a mutated ADH7 gene, making us 40 times more efficient at metabolising ethanol than animals with the typical gene. Interestingly, certain mammal families, including elephants, lack this mutation. This implies that elephants may not require as much alcohol to get drunk compared to humans.
The initial calculation disproving the myth relied on extrapolating from human alcohol tolerance to estimate the amount it would take for an elephant to get drunk. This discovery reopens the debate, suggesting that elephants could potentially be consuming fermented marula fruits and experiencing intoxication.
At Tsavo Trust, we understand the complex nature of elephants, including their social life, behaviour, and personalities. Considering these factors, it’s not difficult to imagine that some of these creatures might discover the intoxicating effects of alcohol by consuming fermented fruits, find pleasure in the sensation, and return for more. So as to the age old debate of whether elephants get drunk off fermented fruit is true, I would say it seems it could be true and if it is I would love to see it.