Researchers have documented for the first time how an intelligent purposefully uses tools. In this case, she utilized sticks found in the grass, as well as a broom that the researchers employed in their experiment.
A team of cognitive biologists from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna confidently asserts that cows can be classified as animals that use tools to accomplish various tasks.
The remarkable subject of their study is a Swiss Brown cow (Bos taurus) named Veronika, who has truly astonished scientists. She demonstrated a high level of behavioral adaptability, a trait rarely seen outside of primates.
What Did the Scientists Discover?
Farmer and baker Witgar Wigele, Veronika’s owner, has long been accustomed to her antics. He has observed for years how she picks up twigs and stretches them to scratch hard-to-reach spots that itch.
However, when university researchers Alice Auer-Sperg and Antonio Osuna-Mascaro saw video footage of this behavior, they were taken aback.
“When I saw the footage, it was immediately clear to me that this was no coincidence. This was a unique example of tool use by an animal species that scientists typically do not study in terms of cognitive abilities,” said Alice Auer-Sperg.
Thus, the researchers set out to meet this extraordinary cow. They developed an experimental program consisting of 7 sessions, each comprising 10 trials. The veterinarians aimed to determine how flexible Veronika’s tool use could be.
The cow was offered an asymmetrical object, with different ends serving different functions. This was a deck broom with stiff bristles on one side and a handle on the other.
And Veronika didn’t just meet expectations—she exceeded them. She used both the bristle end of the broom and the smooth handle for scratching, depending on the area of her body that needed a massage. For the thick skin on her back and sides, Veronika chose the bristles, while for the more sensitive skin on her belly and udder, she opted for the broom handle. Moreover, she made broader movements with the brush and more localized ones with the handle, as reported by Science Alert.
“We suspect that this ability may be more widespread than currently documented. We invite readers who have observed cows or bulls using sticks or other objects for purposeful actions to contact us,” Dr. Osuna-Mascaro wrote in the report.
The results of the study were published in the journal Current Biology.
