A cow with tools astonished scientists

A cow named Veronika has astonished scientists: she consciously uses sticks and brushes to groom herself. This is the first documented case in history of tool use in cattle — behavior that was previously considered impossible for this species. The results of the study have been published in the journal Current Biology.

The hero of this scientific sensation is Veronika — a cow from Austria who lives not on a farm but as a household pet. Her owner noticed an unusual habit: the animal deliberately picked up sticks to scratch her body. When scientists learned about this, they decided to investigate the phenomenon in detail.

"It was immediately clear that this was not accidental but a deliberate use of an object," noted cognitive biologist Alice Auersperg from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.

To verify the observations, a team of researchers conducted a series of experiments. Veronika was offered a brush, and they began recording exactly how she handled it. The results were surprising: the cow selected different parts of the object for specific tasks — she directed the stiff bristles toward her back, while carefully using the smooth handle on more sensitive areas of her body.

Moreover, the animal varied the nature of her movements: for the upper part of her body, she used sweeping and forceful motions, while for the lower part — precise and delicate ones. Such flexibility clearly indicated conscious behavior rather than random actions.

According to researcher Antonio Osuna-Mascaró, Veronika demonstrates multifunctional use of the same tool — an extremely rare type of behavior that had previously been clearly documented primarily only in great apes.

Scientists draw attention to yet another remarkable fact: cows do not have hands, and Veronika has to manipulate objects exclusively with her mouth. Despite this limitation, she confidently controls her actions and, by all appearances, anticipates their outcome in advance.

The authors of the study believe that such unusual behavior may have developed thanks to special living conditions. Unlike the vast majority of farm cows, Veronika grew up in a stimulating environment, actively interacted with people, and had access to a wide variety of objects.

The research calls into question established assumptions about the low level of intelligence in farm animals. According to scientists, such abilities may be far more widespread but remain unnoticed due to standard housing conditions on farms.

The discovery expands the list of species capable of tool use and clearly demonstrates that the cognitive abilities of animals may be significantly underestimated.