Herd of Allegedly Drunk Elephants Found Passed Out in Jungle After Stealing Locals’ Alcohol

(Photo: Katie Hollamby/Pexels)

A herd of two dozen elephants was found passed out after drinking a local home-brew called mahua. The drunk elephants broke large clay pots left to ferment the brew in the jungle of the eastern state of Odisha. 

Madhuca longifolia, also called mahua, is a tropical tree native to India and some neighboring regions. It flowers seasonally and produces green-fleshy fruits. The flowers can be used to make alcohol also called mahua. This alcohol is associated with the forest-dwelling tribal communities and was banned for many years under British-controlled India. More recently these bans have started to be reversed in several Indian states.

The herd, which included nines calves, had come across or possibly sought out the fermenting jars of mahua placed in the jungle by locals from the village of Salipada. Elephants have a strong sense of smell and will pursue mahua. The elephants seeking the mahua can be dangerous for villagers. 

The locals found the herd of elephants collapsed on the jungle floor next to broken sherds of pottery.

“We went into the jungle at around 6 am to prepare mahua and found that all the pots were broken and the fermented liquor is missing,” Naria Sethi, a villager, told Press Trust of India. Sethi continued, “we also found that the elephants were sleeping. They consumed the fermented liquor and got drunk.”

Locals attempted to wake the herd but it took local wildlife officials showing up and beating drums for the elephants to finally awaken. The herd of elephants then stood up and slowly walked away, deeper into the jungle. 

In statements to The Times, Kartick Satyanarayan, the chief executive of Wildlife SOS said in reference to mahua that, “[elephants] love it. It’s pure, it’s tasty, and it’s powerful.

‘When they smell it, they can poke their trunks into kitchens or break down walls to get to it. Once finished, they stagger back home, toppling the odd tree or house on the way.’

It was reported that forest officials had spotted a herd of elephants moving through the jungle and had warned locals not to brew mahua. Fortunately, in this instance, no one was hurt. 

Cases of wild animals seeking out alcohol aren’t all that uncommon. Recently, monkeys have been causing havoc in India by running around stealing liquor from local shops.

Here at The Daily Pour, we do more than write about current events in spirit. We are the only media property reviewing spirits and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the spirit world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of spirit in your morning email, sign up for our Whiskey Deal of the Day Newsletter