Are Humans The Only Species To Drink Milk Of Other Species?

When it comes to mammals, we are the only species that drinks milk directly from other species, or we are the only one that does so in adulthood. Most juvenile animals can drink and digest their mothers milk because they carry the enzyme lactase, which digests lactose. Lactose is the main carbohydrate in animal milk. Lactase is an enzyme that breaks down lactose into its basic parts, that is, glucose and galactose, that the body can now use. As the young grow into adults, the gene that produces this enzyme is switched off, and the body cannot digest lactose easily. There are a few birds in the wild notorious for their predilection to pilfer milk. The Red-Billed Oxpecker, for example, is known to perch on the udders of an impala and suck its milk. Even Seagulls and Sheathbills have been reported to pilfer milk from elephant seals. So, while drinking the milk of other species is very rare, it's not completely non-existent in the animal kingdom.