Beware of Drunk Deer, French Police Say, Announcing Season of Inebriation(nytimes.com)
nytimes.com
Beware of Drunk Deer, French Police Say, Announcing Season of Inebriation
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/13/world/europe/france-drunk-deer.html
15 comments
"...He'd make a pile and leave it for a week or so..."
You're saying that your greyhound wasn't just getting drunk, but actually making his own booze? Not that I don't believe that its possible, but that's a pretty big deal... If you had documented that it could be a bombshell ethology paper.
You're saying that your greyhound wasn't just getting drunk, but actually making his own booze? Not that I don't believe that its possible, but that's a pretty big deal... If you had documented that it could be a bombshell ethology paper.
“Making his own booze” is a bit of a stretch. He figured out the timing between the apple sugars fermenting and when bacteria start turning that alcohol into acetic acid. Probably helped by crushing the apple a little when carrying it or the apples bruising when they hit the ground, but it’s not like he figured out how to juice the apples and make an anaerobic environment to make cider. Dogs are already known to eat windfall fruit and store it in food caches, so it’s just the timing that matters (which could be as low as 2-4 days if its hot and the fruit is well crushed or bruised).
I once came across a buck lying in the middle of my driveway. It was curled up in a weird way with one of its legs wrapped behind the back of its neck. Since it was only a few meters off the road, I assumed it had been hit by a car, and I got out of my vehicle to drag it to the side so I could pass. As I approached, I realized its eyes were open and it was breathing. Suddenly, it struggled to its feet, then very clumsily bounded into the woods. It was funny to watch it run away in its state. Even wasted those things can move. It was also a relief not to have to deal with the corpse. I've "buried" more than one deer before.
Friends of mine who owned a farm ripped out a pile of self-sown giant weeds, emphasis on "weed", from seeds that had blown across from their neighbour's place and threw them onto the compost pile. Where their goat found them later that day.
This led to amusing stories of a goat splayed out on the ground with legs in every direction looking up at them as if to say "what have you done to my legs?".
This led to amusing stories of a goat splayed out on the ground with legs in every direction looking up at them as if to say "what have you done to my legs?".
Some wild animals, eating fermented or rotten fruits, may completely unpredictable behavior,”
Seems the author has found the forbidden fruit as well!
Seems the author has found the forbidden fruit as well!
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I remember from childhood a newspaper article after a number of drunk geese had fallen out of the sky and caused havoc on a motorway in Sweden. Apparently drunk birds dropping out of the sky is not that unusual.
Every time I see this my brain reads it as "Beware of Drunk Beer" - truly, it is the beer I have already drank that has done the most damage to me so far
We get get Kangaroos eating the rotting fruit pulp, left by the Cockatoos after they eat the seeds.
Give it another eight to ten weeks and it'll be shroomers wandering the roads with a blank stare: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cF7Tu-JhKo
Why do you think they're called "wildlife"? 8-)
There are butterflies that do this as well! I hate that I can't seem to find the video anywhere, but I clearly remember a nature documentary where they showed a bunch of butterflies drinking the fermented juice from rotting fruit on the forest floor. This caused them to fly erratically, stumble around, and even fall over. It was pretty amusing!
I don't need documentaries for that, because I experienced that live.
One summer, walking around a large quay/wharf, lying fallow after being flattened and then raised, exploring how so called 'pioneer plants', grasses, flowers, trees took hold there, I noticed the strong smell of ripe blackberries from afar.
Found the few dozen bushes, surrounded by swarms of insects of all sorts, really darkening the air.
Stepped very slowly and carefully right into it, plucked my share from the upper parts of the bushes without being stung or them crawling on me.
Squatted down to take a closer look. Many overripe berries lying on the ground. Insects coming down in spirals like the finger of a tornado, but slowly. Big buzz and hum in the air. Feasting on the mushy berries on the ground. Flying out really low, just a few centimeters off ground, erratically as you described.
Amusing indeed! :-)
Edit: Detailing the most amusing things from memory:
Bumblebees swaying sideways and actually bumping into dandelions(which they are feeding on too, in more normal times), softly crashing into the ground, sometimes on their backs, only to jittery take off back into the air, slowly swaying away further for the next leg of a few meters, only to bump/crash again, and so on, until out of my sight. Other insects too, but with the bumblebees it was most noticable :-)
One summer, walking around a large quay/wharf, lying fallow after being flattened and then raised, exploring how so called 'pioneer plants', grasses, flowers, trees took hold there, I noticed the strong smell of ripe blackberries from afar.
Found the few dozen bushes, surrounded by swarms of insects of all sorts, really darkening the air.
Stepped very slowly and carefully right into it, plucked my share from the upper parts of the bushes without being stung or them crawling on me.
Squatted down to take a closer look. Many overripe berries lying on the ground. Insects coming down in spirals like the finger of a tornado, but slowly. Big buzz and hum in the air. Feasting on the mushy berries on the ground. Flying out really low, just a few centimeters off ground, erratically as you described.
Amusing indeed! :-)
Edit: Detailing the most amusing things from memory:
Bumblebees swaying sideways and actually bumping into dandelions(which they are feeding on too, in more normal times), softly crashing into the ground, sometimes on their backs, only to jittery take off back into the air, slowly swaying away further for the next leg of a few meters, only to bump/crash again, and so on, until out of my sight. Other insects too, but with the bumblebees it was most noticable :-)
Once we figured out what he was up to, I'd keep an eye on him so I could go pick him up and lay him inside on the cool tile next to his water bowl when he was done for the day.