A Breakthrough in Animal Intelligence: Cow Uses Tool to Relieve Itch. For the first time, a cow has been observed using a tool from its environment to solve a problem, leaving scientists stunned.
Meet Veronika, a 10-year-old pet cow living in Austria who has developed an unusual talent - using a branch to scratch herself and relieve skin irritation. The ingenuity of this bovine has sparked excitement among researchers, who have long believed that only primates, birds, and marine mammals possess the cognitive ability to use tools.
According to a study published in Current Biology, Veronika was observed holding branches in her mouth and using them to scratch herself in a flexible manner. The cow's behavior was consistent across multiple trials, with researchers verifying that her decisions were "functionally appropriate."
The researchers are astonished by Veronika's abilities, which go beyond simply using a point to scratch herself. She adapted to different textures and objects, choosing soft bristles one day and a stiffer point the next. The cow even modified her technique depending on the type of object or area of her body she wanted to scratch.
While it is still too early to say that all cows can use tools with the same skill as Veronika, the study suggests that cattle possess more intelligence than previously thought. Researchers believe that Veronika's unique circumstances played a role in her development - living in a complex, open environment filled with manipulable objects.
The discovery of Veronika's tool-using abilities has significant implications for our understanding of animal cognition. As Miquel Llorente, director of the Department of Psychology at the University of Girona, noted, "Finding it in a cow is a fascinating example of convergent evolution: intelligence arises as a response to similar problems, regardless of how different the animal's 'design' may be."
The researchers are now searching for more videos of cattle using tools to gather further evidence about their cognitive abilities. This groundbreaking study has opened up new avenues for research into animal intelligence, challenging our assumptions about which species possess the cognitive capacity to use tools.
Meet Veronika, a 10-year-old pet cow living in Austria who has developed an unusual talent - using a branch to scratch herself and relieve skin irritation. The ingenuity of this bovine has sparked excitement among researchers, who have long believed that only primates, birds, and marine mammals possess the cognitive ability to use tools.
According to a study published in Current Biology, Veronika was observed holding branches in her mouth and using them to scratch herself in a flexible manner. The cow's behavior was consistent across multiple trials, with researchers verifying that her decisions were "functionally appropriate."
The researchers are astonished by Veronika's abilities, which go beyond simply using a point to scratch herself. She adapted to different textures and objects, choosing soft bristles one day and a stiffer point the next. The cow even modified her technique depending on the type of object or area of her body she wanted to scratch.
While it is still too early to say that all cows can use tools with the same skill as Veronika, the study suggests that cattle possess more intelligence than previously thought. Researchers believe that Veronika's unique circumstances played a role in her development - living in a complex, open environment filled with manipulable objects.
The discovery of Veronika's tool-using abilities has significant implications for our understanding of animal cognition. As Miquel Llorente, director of the Department of Psychology at the University of Girona, noted, "Finding it in a cow is a fascinating example of convergent evolution: intelligence arises as a response to similar problems, regardless of how different the animal's 'design' may be."
The researchers are now searching for more videos of cattle using tools to gather further evidence about their cognitive abilities. This groundbreaking study has opened up new avenues for research into animal intelligence, challenging our assumptions about which species possess the cognitive capacity to use tools.
! She's like a tool-using genius or somethin 
! Can u even imagine if cows could just pick up any old branch and start scratchin away? 
. And the researchers are all like "oh wait, cows might actually be smarter than we thought" 
... I'm not surprised tbh 
and then you tell me they're using tools now? Like a branch to scratch themselves? That's so cool 
... but also kinda surprising? Like we always thought it was only humans or some other animals that could do that stuff. But Veronika the cow is like, "Nope, I got this" 
. And she even adapts her technique depending on what she needs? That's insane! 
come on guys a cow uses a branch to scratch itself I mean what's next gonna be dogs using smartphones 
Now it's cows using branches to scratch themselves! I mean, Veronika is like a bovine MacGyver or something! 
.
OMG u gotta see this!!! cows r smart too!! they found 1 cow in austria who uses a branch 2 scratch herself lol 
and it's like... how did she even figure that out tho?? genius bovine alert 
It's pretty wild that she adapts her technique depending on the texture and object too. I'm not surprised though, I've had cows as pets before and they're super intelligent creatures. They're just really good at hiding their cleverness 
Veronika's branch-scratching skills are insane ! who needs a scratching post when you got a branch? 
