Drunken Monkeys

I was watching a show on disorderly animals on Animal Planet, and there was this bit on the monkeys on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. Apparently, residents of this island tried to control the monkeys, but they were too fast, so they gave them alcohol.

These days, it's the tourists who give the monkeys booze--sometimes unintentionally by just leaving their half-filled drinks unattended--but apparently, some scientists are studying these monkeys to learn about the possibility of an "alcoholism gene."

Turns out, monkeys behave pretty similarly to humans when they get drunk. Some of them get quiet and fall asleep, others go nuts and break stuff, and some only drink socially.

Drinking also has benefits for the monkeys themselves. According to the Animal Planet show, the monkeys that drink the most are the most respected and get chosen leader.

Huh.

Sound familiar?