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6h ago

Austrian Cow Demonstrates First Documented Tool Use in Cattle

The peer-reviewed finding prompts a search for other cases to test how widespread the capacity is.

Image
Image
A brown cow standing in a grass pasture holds a wooden deck brush in her mouth. The cow is centered in the photo and is shown from her right side. Her neck is twisted over her right shoulder so that the deck brush is scratching her right flank.
Veronika using brush end to self scratch.

Overview

  • Current Biology published the study on January 19 describing Veronika, a 13-year-old Swiss Brown in Austria, using sticks and a deck brush to scratch herself.
  • Across seven randomized sessions, she chose the brush or handle end according to body region, producing consistent, functionally appropriate results.
  • The researchers classify this as flexible, multi-purpose tool use, a rarity previously shown convincingly outside humans mainly in chimpanzees.
  • Veronika lifted and positioned the tool with her tongue and teeth, anticipating outcomes by adjusting grip and movement to reach difficult areas.
  • The authors emphasize this is a single documented case linked to her enriched, long-lived pet status and invite public reports to assess how common the behavior is in cattle.