Did You Know There’s an Island of Drunk Monkeys in Africa?

We have learned about human evolution from apes. But looks like some monkeys have now taken fancy to our habits. We are talking about the drinking monkeys in Africa’s St. Kitt’s island. The island is known for the drunk monkeys that inhabit there. What’s even more surprising is these monkeys have been staying here for centuries. The vervet monkeys were on the island since the 17^th century and looks like their generations have just loved the taste of alcohol.

These monkeys were brought as pets along with the slaves in Africa. The island had been producing rum and thus it was common for the monkeys to get some taste to alcohol. These monkeys would eat the fermented sugarcane, accustoming themselves to the taste of alcohol. And these vervets liked it so much so that they would just wait for someone to leave their unfinished drinks. They would jump down from the trees and sneak these drinks. When the tourists on the beach happen to go take a small dip in the water, they return to find their drinks left behind, already over. And no, it is not spilled, but the monkeys have enjoyed it.

In fact, it was observed that the monkeys tasted different drinks and cocktails to see which one they liked more. And you thought only you had a difficult choice deciding upon your cocktails? This phenomenon of monkeys becoming drunk became so common that researchers even conducted a study on them to understand the effects of alcohol on monkeys. It was even found that their drinking habits match somewhat to the human population. While some monkeys prefer alcohol, others go for the cocktails. Some monkeys are total teetotalers.

Another interesting fact is the monkeys who drink are respected by those who don’t. Well, that is not happening among humans here. In India, monkeys are notorious for stealing our things and food but St. Kitt’s monkeys are enjoying the idea of being high. So, if you plan to ever pay a visit to St. Kitt's just holding onto your drinks tightly would be our advice.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 08, 2018 09:05 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).