The scientific community is looking with renewed attention at an animal often relegated to the margins of animal intelligence. The protagonist is called Veronika, she is a Swiss Brown cow and has just earned a place in the scientific literature thanks to a behavior never rigorously documented before: the use of a tool. The study, published in the journal Current Biologyshows how Veronika is able to consciously use a broomstick to scratch herself, demonstrating cognitive abilities that were previously thought to belong to only a few species.
The study was signed by biologists Antonio J. Osuna-Mascaró and Alice MI Auersperg of the University of Veterinary Medicine of Vienna. The researchers observed Veronika in a controlled context, offering the cow a broom left on the ground. On 76 documented occasions, the animal grasped the object with its mouth, positioned it precisely using its teeth and tongue, and used it to scratch different parts of its body, particularly its back. This is not a casual gesture, but a repeated, intentional and purpose-adapted action.
Because it is an important discovery
In ethology, tool use is considered a key indicator of advanced intelligence, so far attributed mostly to primates, corvids, and a few other species. Veronika’s behavior broadens this horizon and suggests that the cognitive abilities of cattle have been greatly underestimated. The scholars underline that the cow does not simply use the object, but shows that it anticipates the effect of its actions, adapting the movements and position of the tool based on the area to be reached.
From the farm to the scientific study
Veronika is not a prisoner on an intensive farm, but lives on an Austrian farm with her owner, Witgar Wiegele, a baker and farmer who considers her a pet. The first video showing the unusual behavior came from him. In an age where online images are difficult to verify, the researchers decided to personally go on site to observe the cow and start a structured trial. This is how an apparently curious episode turned into a scientific discovery. According to the authors, it is unlikely that Veronika is the only cow capable of such actions. It is more realistic to think that many animals do not have the living conditions to fully express their abilities. Stimulating environment, time and opportunity for exploration make the difference.
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