In a remarkable new study published in “Current Biology”, researchers document the first quantitative evidence that a domestic cow can use tools flexibly and purposefully. This behavior has been long thought to be restricted to primates and certain bird species.
Veronika, a 13-year-old Swiss Brown cow living in rural Austria, was the subject of an experimental study that systematically tested whether she could use a simple implement for different goals. Rather than stumbling onto tool behavior by chance, Veronika grasped and manipulated a deck brush in distinct ways depending on the task at hand.
The research team, Antonio Osuna-Mascaro and Alice Auersperg of the University of Vienna, presented Veronika with a deck brush oriented in various positions.
“The goal of the study was to test whether Veronica’s tool use met the criteria for flexible tool use. In other words, whether her use of tools was goal oriented, repetitive and consistent with the tools functional properties,” Osuna-Mascaro says.
Across multiple trials she demonstrated:
- Selective grasping of different parts of the brush
- Deliberate orientation of the tool to solve specific problems (for example, using the bristles versus the handle depending on where she wanted to scratch)
- Goal-oriented adjustments, such as releasing the tool and regrasping it to achieve better control
The pattern of behavior meets stringent definitions of tool use where an animal adapts the function of an external object to achieve a desired outcome and challenges long-held assumptions about cattle cognition.
“This might even qualify as the use of a multipurpose tool,” Osuna-Mascaro says, alluding to the fact Veronika used each end of the tool a different way.
A New Lens on Cattle Cognition
Until now, scientific literature on tool use has focused overwhelmingly on primates (e.g. chimpanzees cracking nuts) and some bird species like crows and parrots. Veronika’s behavior pushed the boundaries of what researchers considered possible for large herbivores.
“Veronika is certainly special, but we don’t think she’s particularly different to other cows. Her conditions are,” Osuna-Mascaro explains.
Several conditions may have contributed to her skill:
- Veronika was raised as a pet rather than as traditional livestock, giving her exposure to novel objects and environments.
- She was free to interact with brushes and sticks over the years before any testing.
- Her age and lived experience may have supported learning and exploration.
This context suggests environmental richness and individual experience may play significant roles in the development of complex behaviors, even in species not typically associated with high cognitive flexibility.
Reframing Livestock Intelligence
Veronica’s behavior challenges long-standing assumptions about cognitive limits in cattle:
- Animal cognition research may need to revisit assumptions about which species are capable of flexible problem solving.
- Livestock welfare and management discussions should integrate cognitive enrichment as a meaningful component of animal care.
- Ecology and environment can shape animal intelligence; cognitive abilities are not fixed by species alone.
