Austrian Cow Veronika Uses Tools, Surprising Scientists

Tool-Using Cow Challenges Assumptions About Bovine Intelligence

In a remarkable discovery that's rewriting what we know about farm animal cognition, a 13-year-old Swiss Brown cow named Veronika has demonstrated sophisticated tool-use behavior that has stunned scientists. The cow, living on an organic farm in Nötsch, Austria, has been observed using sticks, rakes, and brooms to scratch hard-to-reach parts of her body—behavior that meets the biological definition of tool use and represents a breakthrough in understanding livestock intelligence.

Scientific Investigation Reveals Sophisticated Behavior

When videos of Veronika's behavior went viral online, they caught the attention of Professor Alice Auersperg, a leading cognitive biologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna. Auersperg and a colleague traveled to the farm to conduct experiments and document the cow's abilities firsthand.

'What makes her unique is that she uses an object as multifunctional tool,' Auersperg explained. 'She demonstrates goal-directed, context-sensitive tooling with fine-motor targeting and anticipation.'

The researchers conducted experiments with a deck scrub broom, placing it in different positions before Veronika. They initially thought she was making mistakes when using the smooth back of the handle to scratch herself, but then realized she was deliberately using different parts of the tool for different body areas. She used the brush end for broad areas like her back and flanks, while employing the smooth stick end for more sensitive regions like her belly, udders, and anus.

Implications for Animal Cognition Research

This discovery adds cows to the growing list of animals known to use tools, joining species like primates, birds, elephants, and dolphins. According to Wikipedia's entry on animal tool use, tool use requires sophisticated cognition and was once thought to be exclusively human.

Veronika's behavior represents an exceptionally rare form of multi-purpose tool manipulation previously only convincingly documented in chimpanzees outside of humans. The cow shows flexible problem-solving by selecting, adjusting, and using tools with surprising dexterity.

'This suggests that technical problem-solving is not limited to species with large brains or specialized appendages,' noted researchers in a recent Ars Technica article about the discovery.

Farm Owner's Perspective and Global Attention

Farm owner Witgar Wiegel expressed surprise at the international media attention his cow has received. 'The Washington Post, The New York Times, Le Figaro, The Guardian, The Süddeutsche Zeitung—they've all called,' he said.

Wiegel isn't disappointed by the attention, however. He believes it's important for people to understand what animals are capable of and not assume farm animals are unintelligent. 'People need to recognize what animals can do and not think farm animals are stupid,' he emphasized.

The discovery has been covered by major publications including The New York Times and Popular Science, highlighting its significance in the scientific community.

Future Research Questions

Scientists now wonder whether Veronika is an exceptionally intelligent individual or whether other cows possess similar untapped cognitive abilities. Her long lifespan (13 years), daily human contact, and access to an engaging environment likely contributed to this cognitive development.

Researchers believe such abilities may be more widespread in livestock than currently recognized and invite observations of similar behaviors in other cows or bulls. The discovery challenges traditional assumptions about bovine intelligence and suggests we may need to reconsider how we perceive and interact with farm animals.

As animal cognition research continues to expand, discoveries like Veronika's tool use remind us that intelligence manifests in diverse ways across the animal kingdom, often in species we least expect.