An Austrian cow uses tools. Scientists are shocked

Veronika, a 13-year-old Austrian cow, is shattering all the stereotypes we know about bovine intelligence.

The intelligent animal club continues to welcome new members, and the latest one is surprising to say the least.

A pet cow in Austria named Veronika he picks up sticks in his mouth and uses them to scratch himself — behavior that a team of researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria, believes is use of tools.

Veronika and her innovative way of scratching are described in a published this Monday in the magazine Current Biology.

“The study’s findings highlight how assumptions about cattle intelligence may reflect gaps in observation rather than genuine cognitive limitations,” he said. Alice Auerspergcognitive biologist at the university and co-author of the study, in a statement published on .

In biology and anthropology, the use of tools, a fundamental indicator of the brain and cognitive development of a species, is defined as being the “use of an external object to achieve a goal by mechanical means“.

In humans, the set of olduvai type instrumentsthree specific stone tools dating back to around 2.9 million years ago, is considered the oldest known example of our species using stone tools.

In other species of the animal kingdom, cases of how tools for access insects and honeywhile those to probe hidden sources of food.

Using them “bubble nets“, which some scientists also consider to be a type of tool use.

Meet Veronica

Veronika is a 13-year-old brown Swiss cow who was not bred for meat or milk. Belongs to organic farmer and baker Witgar Wiegelewho keeps her as a companion animal. More than 10 years ago, Witgar noticed that Veronika occasionally grabbed sticks and used them to scratch himself.

Antonio Osuna-Mascaróco-author of the study and animal cognition researcher, tells Witgar that Veronika was very clumsy at first, but improved her technique considerably over the years.

Witgar recorded a video of his cow’s behavior and shared it with Auersperg. “When I saw the images, it was immediately clear that this was not accidental“, recalls the researcher. “This was a significant example of tool use in a species that is rarely considered from a cognitive perspective.”

Together with Osuna-Mascaró, Auersperg led behavioral tests systematic with Veronika. In a series of controlled trials, they presented the cow with a broom that was positioned on the floor in random locations. Then they registered which extremity Veronika selected and which region of the body she targeted.

Over several sessions, they discovered that your choices were consistent and functionally appropriate for the targeted body regions.

“We demonstrated that a cow can use tools in a genuinely flexible way,” said Osuna-Mascaró. “Veronika is not just using an object to scratch herself. Uses different parts of the same tool for different purposes, and applies different techniquesdepending on the function of the tool and the region of the body.”

Researchers noted that Veronika typically prefers to use the bristle end of the broom when scratching large, firm areas of her body, such as her back. However, when targeting the softer, more sensitive regions of the lower body, switches to the smooth end of the dick.

Veronica too adjusts the way you handle the tool. When itching the upper part of the body, use broader and more vigorous movements, whereas when scratching the lower part of the body it is slower, more careful and highly controlled.

The team believes that Veronika’s actions meet the standard definition of tool use, but also go one step further. They describe their way of scratching as flexible and multipurpose tool usemeaning it uses different characteristics of the same object to achieve a different result.

The multipurpose use of tools like this is extraordinarily rare. Outside our species, has only been previously documented in chimpanzees.

“How are you using the tool in your own bodythis represents an egocentric form of tool use, which is generally considered less complex than tool use directed at external objects”, says Osuna-Mascaró.

“At the same time, faces clear physical limitationssince you have to manipulate tools with your mouth. What’s impressive is the way it compensates for these limitations, anticipating the outcome of its actions and adjusting its grip and movements accordingly,” he adds.

The study authors emphasize that the Veronika’s life circumstances may have played a roleimportant role in the emergence of this behavior.

Most cows does not live to be 13 years old nor does he spend his days in open and complex environments. Also rarely have the opportunity to interact with a variety of manipulable objects. Their long lifespan, daily contact with humans, and access to a stimulating physical landscape likely created favorable conditions for it to explore and innovate.

The team plans to investigate what environmental and social conditions allow this type of behavior to emerge in livestock species, and see how many similar cases there may be. went unnoticed just because no one was looking for them.