Scientists are rethinking what cows are capable of after an Austrian cow named Veronika was found to use tools with remarkable skill.
The discovery, reported by researchers in Vienna, suggests that cattle may possess far greater cognitive abilities than previously believed.
Veronika, a Swiss brown cow living in a mountain village in the Austrian countryside, has spent years perfecting the art of scratching herself using sticks, rakes, and brooms.
Word of her unusual behaviour eventually reached animal intelligence specialists in Vienna, who observed that Veronika could use both ends of the same object for different purposes.
If it was her back or another hard-to-reach spot, she would use the bristled end of a broom for a thorough scratch. For softer areas, like her sensitive underbelly, she would switch to the smooth handle.
This type of tool use is extremely rare in the animal kingdom and had never before been documented in cattle.
Dr. Antonio Osuna-Mascaro of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna said: “We were not expecting cows to be able to use tools, and we were not expecting a cow to use a tool as a multipurpose tool. Until now this has only been consistently reported in chimpanzees.”
Chimpanzees are known for their sophisticated tool use, employing sticks to gather ants and termites or stones to crack nuts. Yet, despite roughly 10,000 years of humans living alongside cattle, Veronika is the first cow documented using tools in this way.
The researchers suggest that this discovery highlights the underestimated intelligence of cows and that other cattle might develop similar skills if given the opportunity.
Veronika’s owner, organic farmer Witgar Wiegele, hopes her talents will inspire greater appreciation for nature: “Save the nature, then you protect yourself. Nature diversity is the key to survive on this planet.”
The study detailing Veronika’s remarkable abilities is published in the journal Current Biology.
