Overview
- A peer-reviewed Current Biology study details how Veronika, a 13-year-old Swiss Brown in Nötsch im Gailtal, deliberately lifted and positioned a deck brush to scratch targeted body areas.
- Researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna ran seven sessions with the brush placed in randomized orientations and recorded 76 instances of self-directed, goal-focused use.
- Veronika chose the bristled end for tougher upper regions and the wooden handle for sensitive areas such as the udder and belly, adjusting grip and motion with her mouth and tongue.
- The authors describe this as multipurpose tool use comparable primarily to observations in chimpanzees, while stressing it is a single-individual result requiring broader study.
- Noting her enriched, low-stress life and a likely driver of horsefly bites, the team invites public submissions of cattle using sticks or tools to assess how widespread the behavior may be.