- An Austrian cow named Veronika uses sticks and brooms to scratch herself
- Researchers documented Veronika's tool use as the first in cattle in Current Biology
- Veronika adapts tool use by switching broom ends for different body areas
An Austrian cow named Veronika has become an overnight social media sensation after a video of her using sticks, rakes, and brooms to scratch herself went viral. Scientists have now been forced to rethink the intelligence capabilities of cattle, with Veronika earning the proud distinction of being the first cow known to use tools.
In a study published in Current Biology, researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna identified Veronika's behaviour as a definitive example of tool use. This discovery marks the first documented evidence of such cognitive complexity in cattle, despite nearly 10,000 years of human domestication.
"Across randomised trials, she preferred the bristled end but switched to the stick end when targeting softer lower-body areas. This adaptive deployment of tool features reveals multi-purpose tool use not previously reported in non-primate mammals," the study highlighted.
Through a series of trials, scientists proved that the cow could not only pick up a broom but also wield it according to the job at hand. If the broom was at an awkward angle, she used her tongue to reposition it before lamping it in place with her teeth.
Over seven sessions of 10 trials, scientists witnessed 76 instances of tool use as Veronika grabbed the broom to scratch otherwise unreachable regions. Using both ends of the brush counts as multi-purpose tool use, the scientists say, which is extraordinarily rare.
Witgar Wiegele, an organic farmer and baker from Carinthia, a small town near the Italian border, who looks after Veronika, stated that the cow began playing with pieces of wood years ago. Subsequently, she figured out using them to scratch herself.
"I was naturally amazed by her extraordinary intelligence and thought how much we could learn from animals: patience, calmness, contentment, and gentleness," said Wiegele.
Researchers have previously observed wild capuchins placing nuts on tree trunk and then pounding with a rock to open them. Similarly, orangutans have been spotted holding a leaf over their mouths to alter the sound of a vocalisation, bending branches into a screen to hide behind and clubbing a fish in shallow water. Meanwhile, elephants have been known to drape plants and soil over the carcasses of dead family members.
