FOURTEEN ELEPHANTS GET DRUNK ON CORN WINE AND PASS OUT IN TEA PLANTATION

Source: https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/

by Phoebe French

19th March, 2020

Fourteen elephants in China have flagrantly flouted calls to self-isolate by wandering into a village, getting drunk on 30 litres of corn wine and passing out in a tea plantation.

According to a post on Epicalyptic’s Facebook page crediting a tweet by Li Jing, a group of fourteen elephants wandered into a village in the Yunnan province in southwest China.

In search of corn and other foods, the tusked mammals instead stumbled upon 30 litres of corn wine, and proceeded to consume every drop.

The animals were later found drunkenly passed out in a nearby tea garden.

Elephants are known for their fondness for booze, with South African folklore stating that they are especially keen on the fermenting fruit of the marula tree, and gorge themselves on the bright golden berries until intoxicated.

A 1984 study determined that inebriation in elephants occurred (theoretically) at a blood-alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05-0.1g to 100ml. The animals have proportionately less blood inside them than humans, meaning that a three-ton elephant would have to consume around 10 litres of alcohol (at 7% ABV) to start acting drunk.

The strength of the corn wine in question here, however, is not known.