US EditionAustrian Cow Becomes First Cattle Ever Documented Using Tools
Veronika, a 13-year-old Swiss Brown cow, uses sticks and brushes as multi-purpose tools to scratch specific body areas, marking the first documented flexible tool use in cattle.
- On January 19, Current Biology reported that Veronika, a pet Swiss Brown cow, uses both ends of a deck brush to scratch herself, as detailed by the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna.
- Witgar Wiegele first noticed stick-scratching more than 10 years ago, initiating long-term observation that led Alice Auersperg to visit Veronika's farm in Nötsch im Gailtal.
- In controlled trials researchers found Veronika consistently selected the deck brush end suited for body regions, using the bristled end for firm areas and the smooth handle for sensitive parts, manipulating it precisely with her tongue and teeth.
- Authors say this discovery suggests cows' cognitive abilities have been underestimated, marking the first reported tool use in a cow, and the research team plans further study and invites members of the public to report sightings.
- Compared with other species, multipurpose tool use is extraordinarily rare and has been documented convincingly only in chimpanzees; Veronika's behavior prompts comparisons to Gary Larson's 'Cow Tools' cartoon.
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80 Articles
Scientists Amazed by 'Cow Using an Actual Tool'
A 13-year-old Austrian cow has just nudged cattle a little higher up the intelligence ladder. Veronika, a pet cow in the Alpine village of Nötsch im Gailtal, caught the attention of animal cognition researchers after her owner, organic farmer Witgar Wiegele, noticed she liked to play with sticks and had...
A duo of researchers discovered a new aspect related to the intelligence of cattle, after seeing a cow... scratching with a broom. ...
Austrian cow shows first case of flexible, multi-purpose tool use in cattle
In 1982, cartoonist Gary Larson published a now-iconic "Far Side" comic titled "Cow Tools." In it, a cow stands proudly beside a jumble of bizarre, useless objects that are "tools" in name only. The joke hinged on a simple assumption: cows are not intelligent enough to make or use tools.
What happens if cows are allowed to explore the world a little more freely? A new study shows that they can learn to use tools – in a way that has previously only been documented in chimpanzees. – I think we often underestimate the intelligence of cows because they are so quiet, says researcher Jenny Yngvesson.
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