Overview
- Researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna report the first scientific documentation of deliberate tool use by a domestic cow in Current Biology.
- In ten trial sessions, the team recorded 76 instances of Veronika picking up a long-handled scrubber to scratch different body regions.
- The cow used the bristled end for broad, firm areas like the back and switched to the smooth handle for sensitive parts with careful, controlled movements.
- The investigators visited the farm in Carinthia, verified the behavior on site, and designed tests to rule out training or manipulated video.
- The authors are soliciting further reports to assess prevalence, noting similar scratching behavior has been observed in horses and zebus.