2 hours agoShareSaveShareSaveScientists are rethinking what cattle are capable of after an Austrian cow named Veronika was found to use tools with impressive skill. The discovery, reported by researchers in Vienna, suggests cows may have far greater cognitive abilities than previously assumed.Veronika, a cow living in a mountain village in the Austrian countryside, has spent years perfecting the art of scratching herself using sticks, rakes, and brooms. Word of her behaviour eventually reached animal intelligence specialists in Vienna, who found Veronika used both ends of the same object for different tasks. Getty ImagesChimpanzees show the most varied range of tool use outside of humans. They use sticks to gather ants and termites, and stones to crack nuts.However, despite about 10,000 years of humans living alongside cattle, this is the first time scientists have documented a cow using a tool.The researchers say their discovery shows that cows are smarter than we think and that other cows could develop similar skills, given the chance.As for Veronika’s owner, organic farmer Witgar Wiegele, he hopes her unexpected talents will inspire people to value the natural world. As he puts it: “Save the nature, then you protect yourself. Nature diversity is the key to survive on this planet.”The study is published in the journal Current Biology. …
