It's odd to think of elephants consuming alcohol,
but they certainly will if given the opportunity.
In West Bengal, a herd of 150 bulled their way
into an illegal still and gorged themselves
on moonshine mash, then went on a drunken rampage
across the countryside, trampling huts, demolishing buildings,
ultimately killing five people and injuring a dozen.
In his 1857 travels, missionary David Livingstone noted
the passion with which certain African elephants ate fermented
Borassus fruits, devouring all that had ripened and fallen
and then shaking the trees for more. Following rivers and paths
on a march to the fruits, adult elephants travel sometimes
30 kilometers or more in a single day. Some of them get smashed,
especially those arriving late and fearful they won't get their fill.
Now they become skittish, reactive even to a small harmless bump,
which can send them racing off at great speeds.
Ronald K. Siegel, Ph.D., in "Intoxication: Life in Pursuit of Artificial
Paradise."
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon May 28 2001 - 09:50:19 MDT