How Elephants Get Drunk in the Wild — And Other Bizarre Behaviors I’ve Witnessed
If you thought elephants were just gentle giants with a serious memory, wait until you hear this: elephants sometimes get drunk. Yes, you read that right. They’ve been seen munching on fermented fruit, getting tipsy, and behaving in ways you’d never expect from the world’s largest land mammal.
During my time in Africa, I’ve witnessed truly bizarre behaviors in the wild that have completely changed the way I see these magnificent creatures.
The Elephant Drunk-Fest: Nature’s Party Animals
While traveling through Africa with a group of overlanders, I had the opportunity to observe elephants up close, and one evening, something bizarre happened that I’ll never forget. A group of elephants had gathered around a large marula tree. As they fed on the fruits, I noticed something strange: some elephants began acting erratically, stumbling and making odd noises.
Curious, I watched as one elephant, after consuming what seemed like an excessive amount of marula fruit, started swaying on its feet. It then proceeded to engage in what can only be described as a drunken stumble, bumping into trees and even attempting to communicate with its herd in a way that seemed less coordinated than usual.
The marula tree’s fruit ferments in the hot African sun, creating natural alcohol. The elephants, lured by the sweet, tangy taste, end up indulging in a bit too much. But witnessing it firsthand, I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of an elephant acting a bit tipsy.
But it’s not just the elephants getting drunk from the marula fruit, check out this video and try not to laugh hahaha
Why Do Elephants Get Drunk?
Why on earth would elephants eat fermented fruit? The answer lies in the nutritional benefits. Marula fruit is packed with vitamins and water, which is crucial in dry regions where food and water are scarce. However, when the fruit ferments, it becomes intoxicating, and the elephants’ love for the fruit leads them to consume more than they should.
While this may sound like a party trick, it’s an important survival tactic. The alcohol might be a side effect, but it’s also a way for the elephants to access the sugars and water they need. In the wild, you have to take every opportunity you can to get enough food and hydration.
Night Dancing: The Secret Elephant Ritual
Most safari-goers never witness what happens at waterholes after dark, but during a night drive in Namibia’s Etosha National Park, I observed something truly remarkable
When the light was fading, a group of elephants formed a loose circle at a waterhole. What followed looked suspiciously like a coordinated dance as they swayed in unison, made synchronized foot movements, and gently touched each other with their trunks. Were they drunk as well?
What stood out to me during my observations was how complex elephant social structures are. I never fully understood how they communicate and form bonds until I witnessed it firsthand.
The Curious Case of Elephants’ Self-Medicating Behavior
One of the most mind-blowing things I’ve seen is how elephants use plants to heal themselves. Elephants, like some other animals, have an instinct for medicine. They’ve been observed eating certain types of plants that are known to have medicinal properties, such as the bark of the marula tree, which contains compounds that help with pain relief.
In fact, elephants have been known to go out of their way to find these plants when they’re feeling sick or injured.
Another strange but fascinating elephant behavior I witnessed occurred when a herd of elephants came across a mound of army ants. At first, I thought they would simply walk around it, as many animals would. But no. The elephants approached the mound, and using their trunks, they began to pick up the ants and use them in an unexpected way.
When a mother elephant’s calf has an insect bite or skin irritation, the adult elephants will break open ant mounds, releasing ants that can help with the irritation!
Why We Should Protect These Majestic Creatures
Watching elephants interact with their world — whether it’s getting tipsy on fermented fruit, navigating their complex social structures, or practicing self-care with plants and insects — reinforced just how important it is to protect them. Their intelligence, compassion, and resilience make them one of Africa’s most magnificent creatures.
Unfortunately, elephants face a host of threats, including poaching, habitat loss, and human-wildlife conflict. We must continue to raise awareness about their plight and support conservation efforts to ensure that these incredible animals continue to roam the earth for generations to come.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below! I wish you amazing elephant experiences on your African adventures!
Who am I? Well, the least you can say is that I am quite crazy about Africa, its nature, its climate, its culture, and more.
As a young woman in my twenties, I had already traveled to several African countries by traveling along in an overlander on my own and mostly camping ( or glamping ) and just fell in love with the diversity of it all.
So much, so that at the age of 26, I went back to university to study biology, which, unfortunately, I couldn’t finish because of health reasons (yes, I got sick from a tropical disease, oh cynicism). But this did not stop my dream of traveling back to Africa several times, and I still do.
My dream was back then to leave Europe and go study animal behavior, especially the elephants (sure, that’s every girl’s dream haha), but I am also very much intrigued by hyenas and other “ugly African animals“.
So, I “kind of” have a little bit of a scientific approach to my articles, when I write about African birds, for example. And most of all: the passion.
But life goes on, you move from one side of the country to the other, you get sick again and top it off with lower back problems, and before you know it, you are over 50 hahaha!
Now, I still travel to Africa, but take it a bit “easier” than the good old camping days, and stay in comfortable, yet affordable accommodations, together with my husband Wouter.
These are some of the countries I have traveled to: Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Tunisia, and a little bit of Lesotho LOL .
While clearly not being African territory, but Spanish, I also visited Gran Canaria and Tenerife, and location-wise, I consider them “African”, because of their climate and nature, sue me :-p
The last trip I took was to South Africa in the year 2023, and it sure got the fevers for Africa back! From the Barberton mountains to the Drakensberg and the Southcoast, one month wasn’t enough at all to see the whole country, so we’ll be back! At ease and with a little bit more luxury than in my younger days haha!
