A Swiss brown cow named Veronica has upended long‑held assumptions about bovine intelligence by demonstrating the flexible use of simple tools — a behavior rarely documented outside humans and some primates, scientists reported Tuesday.
Veronica, raised as a pet by Austrian organic farmer and baker Witger Weigl, has been observed using a broom and wooden sticks to scratch different parts of her body, a pattern of behavior captured on video and described in a study published in the journal Current Biology.
The versatile use Veronica the cow made of the broom
(Video: Antonio Osuna Mascaró, Alice Auersperg)
The finding challenges earlier stereotypes, such as a 1982 Far Side cartoon by American cartoonist Gary Larson that implied cows lack intelligence. “The results highlight how assumptions about animal intelligence may reflect gaps in observation rather than true cognitive limits,” said Dr. Alice Auersperg, a cognitive biologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna.
Weigl noticed more than a decade ago that Veronica occasionally picked up sticks and appeared to use them to scratch. The behavior drew scientific attention after videos were shared with Auersperg.
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Veronica the cow uses a stick to scratch her back
(Photo: Antonio Osuna Mascaró, Alice Auersperg)
Working with animal cognition researcher Dr. Antonio Ossuna‑Mascaro, Auersperg visited Veronica’s pasture to conduct controlled experiments. The researchers placed a broom and wooden sticks on the ground and recorded which end Veronica used and where on her body she directed her scratching.
They found that Veronica’s choices were consistent and functionally appropriate: she generally used the bristled end of the broom to rake the thick skin of her back and switched to the smoother handle end of a stick to gently scratch more sensitive lower areas, such as around her udder. Researchers also noted that scratching her upper body involved broad, forceful movements, while lower body scratching was slower, more careful and highly controlled.
“We proved that a cow can use tools in a flexible and multifunctional way,” said Ossuna‑Mascaro, noting that Veronica had to manipulate the broom and sticks with her mouth, presenting clear physical constraints. “What impressed us was how she adjusted her grip and movements to suit her needs.”
Such versatile tool use is rare in the animal kingdom, seen primarily in humans and some chimpanzees. The Veronica study is the first documented case of tool use in domestic cattle and expands the range of species known to exhibit this capability.
Researchers suspect that Veronica’s behavior may be linked to her long life as a pet, daily interaction with humans, and constant access to a variety of objects — conditions that may have supported her unique cognitive development.