In a recent interview with cognitive biologist Antonio Osuna-Mascaró, he shared the fascinating story of their encounter with Veronika, a cow displaying remarkable tool use behavior. Osuna-Mascaró and Alice Auersperg, researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, were intrigued by a video showing Veronika using a branch to scratch herself. This led them to embark on a five-hour journey to meet the cow in southern Austria.
Veronika impressed the scientists with her adept use of a broom to relieve her itches, showcasing different techniques with precision. Their study, featured in the journal Current Biology, challenges traditional beliefs about cows’ intelligence.
Living as a pet in the village of Nötsch, Austria, 13-year-old Veronika has mastered the art of using tools for self-care under the attentive eye of her owner, Witgar Wiegele. Notably, Veronika swiftly demonstrated her tool use proficiency upon the researchers’ arrival, showcasing her skills with the broom provided.
The researchers aimed to assess Veronika’s scratching behavior in line with “flexible tooling” criteria, which involves leveraging an object to extend physical reach and exert force effectively. By offering her a broom with distinct functional ends, they observed Veronika’s preference for the bristled side to address various itchy spots across her body.
Benjamin Beck, a co-author of the book “Animal Tool Behavior,” commended Veronika’s prowess in flexible tool use, highlighting her unique ability to adapt tool ends to different body areas. While tool use in animals remains a subject of debate among scientists, Veronika’s skills underscore the expanding understanding of such behaviors in various species.
The study emphasizes that while Veronika’s tool use is a groundbreaking example in cattle, instances of tool utilization exist in other animal species as well. The evolution of knowledge in this field has led to a broader appreciation of animals’ cognitive abilities, challenging previous assumptions regarding their intelligence.