Raccoons Are Getting Drunk In Canada From Fremented Fruits

A number of residents have seen raccoons stumbling about town, or passing out in broad daylight. A biology professor at Carleton University thinks the animals are likely overindulging on fermented fruit.

A few days ago, Emily Rodgers arrived home to find one of the normally nocturnal creatures nearly knocked out in her southwest Ottawa backyard:"He couldn't really move. He was dragging his legs, he was wobbling, having a hard time standing up. You could tell something was wrong with him for sure," Rodgers told CBC News. After watching the raccoon for several hours, Rodgers called 311 and city workers came to remove the animal. The same day, other residents in the area had a similar experience.

No, the raccoons haven't been visiting the local bar — they've more likely been overindulging on fermented fruit, according to Michael Runtz, a biology professor at Carleton University. Apparently, there's an abundance of fruit falling from trees in the area this year, and it looks like the raccoons are having a hard time cutting themselves off : "It's possible that some of the fruit is fermenting under the heat, and that these guys are getting a bit tipsy by eating that fermenting fruit," he said.