Meet Veronika: The Cow That Uses Tools
▼ Summary
– A Swiss cow named Veronika uses sticks to scratch herself, demonstrating a form of multipurpose tool use.
– This behavior, detailed in a scientific paper, suggests cows’ cognitive abilities have been underestimated.
– Tool use, once considered uniquely human, has been observed in primates, dolphins, and octopuses.
– Birds, particularly corvids like crows, also use tools in the wild, showing complex behaviors.
– A captive cockatoo named Figaro was observed modifying a stick to retrieve food, showcasing problem-solving skills.
The classic Far Side cartoon “Cow Tools” from 1982 famously poked fun at the very idea of bovine ingenuity, depicting a cow standing next to a nonsensical pile of objects. Now, a real-life Swiss brown cow named Veronika is challenging that long-held assumption. This pet cow in Austria has been observed picking up sticks to scratch herself, a behavior detailed in a new study published in Current Biology. Researchers argue this constitutes a form of multipurpose tool use, suggesting that the cognitive abilities of cows have been significantly underestimated by the scientific community.
For a long time, the ability to use tools was considered a hallmark of human intelligence. Over the decades, however, this view has expanded. Primates and other mammals have demonstrated various forms of tool use. Dolphins, for instance, are known to toss objects, a behavior some scientists interpret as a type of tool use, especially when directed at another dolphin. This throwing might serve purposes like communication, social bonding, or displays of aggression. Octopuses have also been documented engaging in similar projectile behavior.
Perhaps more surprising was the discovery of tool use in birds. Birds are the only living descendants of dinosaurs, a lineage that diverged from mammals hundreds of millions of years ago. In natural settings, sophisticated tool use has been primarily observed in corvids, such as crows and jays. These birds exhibit a remarkable range of complex behaviors, including facial recognition and rituals that appear to acknowledge the death of their peers.
A compelling example of avian problem-solving came from a captive cockatoo named Figaro in 2012. While trying to retrieve a stone that had rolled behind a metal barrier, Figaro picked up a stick to extend his reach. He was unsuccessful. Intrigued, researchers then placed a nut behind the same divider. Figaro first tried with a stick from the floor of his enclosure, but it was too short. Undeterred, he then deliberately splintered a piece of wood from the enclosure’s frame, creating a longer tool. Using this customized stick, he successfully maneuvered the nut close enough to grab it with his beak. This incident highlights the innovative and adaptive nature of animal intelligence, a capacity now being recognized in unexpected species like Veronika the cow.
(Source: Ars Technica)
