Although zoologists have repeatedly documented tool use among various animals closely related to humans—from primates to pigs—cows had not been included in this list until recently. However, the situation has changed: it is now known that cows are capable of using multifunctional tools in different ways, depending on the circumstances.

Unusual Behavior of the Cow Named Veronika

An Austrian farmer, Witgar Wigele, noticed that his Brown Swiss cow named Veronika uses sticks to scratch herself. For animals that cannot reach certain parts of their bodies with their limbs, this is a common problem—and cows are among such species. The farmer contacted scientists to study this unusual behavior in more detail.

Experiments and Observations

Veterinarians from the local university conducted a series of experiments to determine how consciously the cow uses tools. They hypothesized that if given an object combining a stick and a brush, the animal would use the brush part more often for scratching than the handle.

The results turned out to be even more interesting: Veronika used the handle to scratch the lower parts of her body, where the skin is thinner, and the brush for the thicker skin on her upper torso. Apparently, the bristles were uncomfortable on the thinner skin. Moreover, her scratching technique also varied: she scratched her belly with the handle slowly and gently, while her back was scratched more frequently and with greater force.

Multifunctional Tool Use

Such multifunctional use of a single tool—using its different parts for different purposes—had previously been reliably observed only in chimpanzees, the animals most closely related to humans. While tool use is seen in other species as well (for example, pandas scratch themselves with twigs), the conscious use of one object for different goals is extremely rare.

Why Is This Behavior So Rarely Observed?

This raises the question: why has such behavior been noticed in only one cow, despite their vast numbers worldwide? The study’s authors note that Veronika is 13 years old, while most cows do not live to such an age, as they are usually sent to slaughter earlier. However, her owner claims to have seen Veronika using sticks as early as age three.

There is another explanation: Veronika is not a typical cow kept in a stall and grazed on a limited pasture. She lives in open spaces and is essentially a companion animal. Most cows simply do not have access to sticks or branches, as these are not found in their enclosures.

Nevertheless, in Latin American countries where cows and bulls graze freely and have the opportunity to interact with branches and sticks, no such reports have been made. Perhaps this is because such behavioral traits simply go unnoticed.

Prospects for Further Research

Researchers suggest that this behavior may be much more widespread than previously thought, but has simply not been recorded by scientists. For this reason, they have asked readers to report similar cases if anyone has observed such behavior. There have already been some initial mentions of similar actions in other cows, but details have not yet been disclosed.