Austrian Cow Uses Tools to Scratch Hard-to-Reach Spots

A cow in the Austrian mountains just rewrote what scientists thought possible about animal intelligence.

Veronika, a 13-year-old Swiss Brown cow living in the village of Nötsch, Austria, has become the first cow ever documented using tools. She picks up deck brushes and sticks with her tongue, carefully positions them, and scratches hard-to-reach spots on her body with surprising precision.

Her owner, Witgar Wiegele, an organic grain farmer, first noticed her unusual behavior about 10 years ago. When a friend sent video footage to researchers at Vienna's Messerli Research Institute, cognitive biologists immediately recognized they were witnessing something extraordinary.

Dr. Antonio Osuna-Mascaró expected to spend hours waiting for tool use behavior. Instead, Veronika grabbed a stick the moment researchers placed it in front of her.

"She picked it up with her hand-like tongue, held it in her mouth with precision, aligned it with her body, and rubbed it along parts of her back she clearly couldn't reach otherwise," Dr. Osuna-Mascaró explained.

The research team tested Veronika with deck brushes placed in random orientations. Every time, she purposefully chose the right end for what she needed: bristles for her upper body, smooth wood for sensitive areas like her belly and udder.

She even varies her technique, using broad sweeping movements for her back and more controlled motions for delicate skin. The level of intentionality matches behaviors previously seen only in primates and other highly intelligent animals.

Why This Inspires

For decades, "bovine" has been synonymous with dull or slow-witted. Veronika challenges that assumption completely.

Professor Alice Auersperg, the study's lead researcher, calls this discovery scientifically valuable for species traditionally overlooked in cognitive research. Flexible tool use requires complex thinking and problem-solving abilities.

Scientists believe Veronika's unique living conditions helped her abilities emerge. As a beloved family pet with a long lifespan, rich environment, and daily human contact, she had opportunities most farm cattle never receive.

The research, published in Current Biology, opens new questions about what other animals might surprise us with the right conditions and attention.

One curious cow in Austria just reminded us that intelligence appears in unexpected places when we take the time to look.