Trunk and disorderly! Hilarious pictures capture tipsy elephants staggering around South African park after eating huge quantities of fermented marula fruit

Elephants stumbled around and fell over after eating marula fruit in Kruger National Park

Marula fruit apparently has intoxicating effect when consumed in huge amounts by large mammals

Photographs were taken by field guide Ross Couper who works for safari company Singita




If you substituted the animals for humans, it’s the sort of scene you might see on a Friday night in Newcastle or Cardiff.

These comical pictures were taken after a herd of young elephants ate a fruit which is said to make large mammals drunk when eaten in huge quantities.

Marula fruit - said to be sweet, tart and refreshing - apparently has an intoxicating effect when consumed after it has ripened and fallen to the ground.

Ross Couper, a field guide who works for luxury safari outfit Singita in South Africa's Kruger National Park, saw the elephants begin to stumble around and fall over their siblings.

He said: ‘We watched in awe because the youngsters definitely seemed to display signs of being rather tipsy.’

However, it has also been claimed that the unusual behaviour is actually caused by eating beetle pupae that live in the bark of marula trees.



Tipsy: These comical pictures were taken after a herd of young elephants ate a fruit which is said to make large mammals drunk when eaten in huge quantities

On the floor: The marula fruit - said to taste sweet, tart and refreshing - has an intoxicating effect when consumed after it has ripened and fallen to the ground

Spotted: Ross Couper, a field guide at Singita Kruger National Park in South Africa, saw the elephants begin to stumble around and fall over their siblings

Unusual: Observers watched 'in awe because the youngsters definitely seemed to display signs of being rather tipsy', Mr Couper said