Alcohol consumption among chimpanzees could play a role in social bonding, as sharing fermented foods might help reduce conflicts and facilitate activities such as hunting and territorial patrols.

Despite their alcohol intake, chimpanzees are primarily threatened by habitat loss caused by human activities like farming, logging, and infrastructure development, which endanger their populations.

The study's estimates are based on analyzing fruit and food intake, but researchers suggest that direct measurement methods, such as urine analysis, would provide more accurate data on actual alcohol consumption.

The widespread nature of alcohol consumption in animals highlights that effects depend on intake levels; in humans, health guidelines recommend limiting alcohol to reduce health risks, though no safe consumption level has been definitively established.

The study notes limitations, including uncertainties about the exact amount of fruit eaten and alcohol content in leftovers, and emphasizes that wild chimpanzees likely avoid intoxication due to survival risks.

Researchers are analyzing urine samples from wild chimpanzees to measure alcohol metabolites, which could offer further insights into their actual intoxication levels.

Fieldwork involves collecting urine samples with umbrellas to avoid disturbing the animals, aiming to better understand their alcohol consumption patterns.

The fruits consumed by chimpanzees include figs in Uganda and plum-like fruits on the forest floor in Côte d'Ivoire, with data collected over three seasons under challenging conditions.

Recent research indicates that chimpanzees consume about 14 grams of ethanol daily from fermented fruits, supporting the idea that humans inherited a taste for alcohol from primate ancestors, a concept known as the 'drunken monkey' hypothesis.

While chimpanzees sometimes binge on fermented fruits, this behavior is natural and not necessarily a sign of intoxication, and it may serve social functions like bonding and reducing tensions.