We commonly refer to people who love to party and drink as ‘party animals’. But who truly deserve this title, none other than the Vervet Monkeys, Chlorocebus pygerythrus which reside on Caribbean island of St Kitts. According to the assistant producer of the BBC show called Weird Nature, these monkeys “descend on beach bars to sip cocktails during ‘happy hour'”. Even Charles Darwin noted in The Descent of Man that “monkeys have a strong taste” for “spirituous liquors”.

Not surprisingly, research studies have revealed that the monkeys can be classified into four main categories namely binge drinker, steady drinker, social drinker and teetotaller. (David Harrison, 2002)

Indeed, this is further supported by scientific facts. The attraction to alcohol evolved from the time living things roamed the forests for energy-rich plants. A whiff of alcohol might have signaled that a fruit had reached peak calorie content. As a result, this might have lead to the attraction to alcohol as seen on these monkeys. (Robert Dudley, 2004)

References:

“Alcoholic Vervet Monkeys! – Weird Nature – BBC animals” by BBCWorldwide YouTube Channel, 26 January 2009. URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSm7BcQHWXk&feature=fvsr (accessed on 06 Apr 2010).

“Quest for ‘alcohol gene’ sets monkeys on binge,” by David Harrison. Telegraph, 03 March 2002. URL: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3291518/Quest-for-alcohol-gene-sets-monkeys-on-binge.html (accessed on 6 Apr 2010).

Robert Dudley, 2004. Ethanol, Fruit Ripening, and the Historical Origins of Human Alcoholism in Primate Frugivory. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 44(4):315-323.