Ask Earth-Touch
Can animals get drunk on marula berries?
Name: Carl
School: The Bullis School
I recently saw the movie The Gods Must Be Crazy, which shows elephants and other animals getting drunk on the berries of a marula tree. Does this really happen?
It is a myth that African elephants can become ‘drunk’ by eating too many marula berries. But they do love to eat the fruit of the marula tree, and by eating it, digesting it and dispersing its seeds through their dung, they help to ensure this species is continually propagated.
Elephants are notoriously destructive feeders, breaking off branches, debarking trees and even uprooting or pushing over whole trees. But they also play an important role in the life cycle of trees, by dropping seeds of their favourite trees in their dung as they move from place to place. Birds such as hornbills eat their favourite seeds off the ground, and so the distribution process continues.
Watch these Earth-Touch clips of elephants:
What is the world’s fastest antelope?
Name: Anne Stebbins
School: The Bullis School
Hi, I have just watched the Earth-Touch clip, Dominant tsessebe chases challenger (http://www.earth-touch.com/#/Dominant-tsessebe-chases-challenger/).
I heard somewhere that tsessebe are the fastest antelope in the world. Is this true?
Tsessebes are the fastest antelope in Southern Africa (see, for example, http://www.5050.co.za/inserts.asp?ID=4837), but not the fastest in the world. Apparently they’re able to reach speeds of about 70km (43mi) per hour.
The fastest antelope honour probably goes to the pronghorn, which can reportedly reach speeds of about 80kmph (50mph) and more (see for example http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/pronghorn.html).
– Tara Turkington, Earth-Touch Editorial Team
Aren’t you afraid you’ll get eaten?
Name: Sam Goncalves
School: National Cathedral School
I have a question for the Earth-Touch crew who dive with sharks, especially great whites. Aren’t you afraid you’ll get eaten?
It’s important to treat all sharks with respect, and one learns to gauge their behaviour. If they are agitated, we don’t stay in the water long, but mostly they are simply curious and don’t see humans as their natural prey.
It’s always a bit of an adrenalin rush to see sharks, especially the ultimate predators, the great whites. But they’re not as dangerous as the movies have made them out to be.
– Graeme Duane, Earth-Touch field crew
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