A Cow's Unlikely Talent Leaves Scientists in Awe
Meet Veronika, a remarkable cow from Austria who has left researchers stunned with her advanced tool use. For years, the 7-year-old cow has been perfecting the art of scratching herself using sticks, rakes, and brooms – behaviors that were previously thought to be exclusive to humans.
Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna discovered Veronika's unique talent after being told about her by a friend. What they found was astonishing: she could use both ends of the same object for different tasks. If it needed a softer touch, such as on her sensitive underbelly, she would switch to the smooth handle end of the broom.
This kind of tool use is extremely rare in the animal kingdom and has never been documented in cattle before. It's reminiscent of chimpanzees, which are known for their advanced tool use outside of humans – using sticks to gather food and stones to crack nuts.
The discovery highlights that cows may be smarter than we think. As Antonio Osuna-Mascaro, a researcher who studied Veronika, noted: "We were not expecting cows to be able to use tools, and we were not expecting a cow to use a tool as a multipurpose tool."
Veronika's owner, organic farmer Witgar Wiegele, hopes that her unexpected talents will inspire people to value nature. He says, "Save the nature, then you protect yourself. Nature diversity is the key to survive on this planet." The study was published in the journal Current Biology.
The finding raises questions about the cognitive abilities of other animals and highlights the need for further research into animal intelligence.
Meet Veronika, a remarkable cow from Austria who has left researchers stunned with her advanced tool use. For years, the 7-year-old cow has been perfecting the art of scratching herself using sticks, rakes, and brooms – behaviors that were previously thought to be exclusive to humans.
Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna discovered Veronika's unique talent after being told about her by a friend. What they found was astonishing: she could use both ends of the same object for different tasks. If it needed a softer touch, such as on her sensitive underbelly, she would switch to the smooth handle end of the broom.
This kind of tool use is extremely rare in the animal kingdom and has never been documented in cattle before. It's reminiscent of chimpanzees, which are known for their advanced tool use outside of humans – using sticks to gather food and stones to crack nuts.
The discovery highlights that cows may be smarter than we think. As Antonio Osuna-Mascaro, a researcher who studied Veronika, noted: "We were not expecting cows to be able to use tools, and we were not expecting a cow to use a tool as a multipurpose tool."
Veronika's owner, organic farmer Witgar Wiegele, hopes that her unexpected talents will inspire people to value nature. He says, "Save the nature, then you protect yourself. Nature diversity is the key to survive on this planet." The study was published in the journal Current Biology.
The finding raises questions about the cognitive abilities of other animals and highlights the need for further research into animal intelligence.
there's this 1 cow Veronika from austria who can use tools like a pro 
she uses sticks, rakes & brooms to scratch herself & it's literally mind blowing!! researchers are stoked cuz they never knew cows cud do that before 
i mean we all no chimps r clever w/ tools but this is next level 
i hope Veronika's talent inspires ppl 2 appreciate nature & protect our planet 
we shd def learn more about animal intelligence & see wut other creatures r capable of 
I'm tellin' ya, this cow Veronika is like something outta a sci-fi movie! She's got skills, folks! I mean, who knew cows could use sticks like that? It's wild to think she's been doin' it for years and nobody noticed. Makes you wonder what other clever things they might be doin'. 
, I mean, who knew cows could be like little MacGyvers? It's wild to think that they're using sticks and brooms in all sorts of ways, it just goes to show that nature is full of surprises! And you know what's even more cool? The fact that Veronika's owner is spreading a message about the importance of preserving our natural world. We need more people like him promoting conservation and sustainability. I'm curious though, what does this say about animal intelligence? Are there other animals out there with hidden talents waiting to be discovered? 
! I mean, who knew cows could be the ultimate DIY enthusiasts? It's like they're saying, "Hey humans, you can use a hammer and nails, but we'll just use sticks and rakes... yeah, that's way more efficient" 
. Anyway, it seems Veronika is the real MVP (Most Valuable Pooch... err, cow) of the animal kingdom right now 
!
anyway, this study is def making me rethink everything about animal intelligence 
gotta give props to veronika & her owner witgar for showing us that nature's full of hidden talents 
The fact that Veronika can use both ends of an object for different tasks is mind-blowing... I mean, we're still using the same old ways of thinking, and yet, there's this intelligent cow out there doing her own thing.
Anyway, it's pretty cool to see Veronika getting some love and Witgar Wiegele's message about saving nature is definitely something we should all think about 
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. And it's wild that scientists were all "cows can't use tools" and then BAM! Veronika comes along like the cow version of a ninja 
.
But seriously, this finding highlights how much we don't know about animal intelligence. Maybe we should start valuing nature more (as Witgar said) and supporting research that uncovers these hidden talents. 
. It's not just about their cognitive abilities, but also how they think on their hooves - no pun intended 
. Just imagine it: cows helping humans with everyday tasks using custom-made tools 
. The future is bright, folks! 
where are the videos of Veronika using sticks and brooms?!