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Austrian Cow Masters Tool Use: A Bovine Surprise!
19 Jan
Summary
- Veronika, a Brown Swiss cow, demonstrated multi-purpose tool use, previously unseen in livestock.
- She adjusted and used a broom for scratching, showing remarkable dexterity and flexibility.
- Her skills challenge long-held assumptions about cattle intelligence and animal cognition.
Scientists are revising their understanding of cattle intelligence following the discovery of tool use in an Austrian Brown Swiss cow named Veronika. This thirteen-year-old bovine has exhibited an extraordinary ability to select, adjust, and use tools for self-scratching, a feat previously documented only in humans and chimpanzees. Her owner first observed her playing with sticks, which led researchers to conduct further tests.
Through controlled trials, Veronika demonstrated remarkable dexterity, using a broom for self-grooming and adapting her technique based on the body part being scratched. She even repositioned the broom with her tongue before grasping it with her teeth. This nuanced behavior, including using different parts of the tool for different purposes, challenges the long-held perception of livestock as less cognitively advanced.
The study, conducted in Veronika's idyllic hometown of Nötsch im Gailtal, highlights that cattle may possess greater innovative potential than previously assumed. While Veronika did not fashion tools herself, her flexible and purposeful use of an existing one is considered exceptionally rare. Researchers suggest this discovery opens new avenues for understanding animal cognition and the capabilities of species we may have underestimated.
