Each time, Veronica used her tongue to lift the broom and place it in her mouth, clenching her teeth to hold it steady. This enabled her to use the broom to scratch hard-to-reach areas on the back half of her body. Veronica seemed to prefer the brush end to the stick end (i.e. exploiting the distinct properties of one object for different functions) although which end she used depended on the area of the object. For example, she used the end of the brush to scratch her upper body using a rubbing motion, while she used the end of the stick to scratch more sensitive lower areas such as the udders and abdominal skin flaps using gentle, precisely targeted forward thrusts. She also anticipated the need to adjust her grip.
The authors concluded that this behavior exhibits “goal-directed and context-sensitive tools,” as well as variability in its anticipation of tool use and fine motor targeting. Veronica’s scratching behavior was likely motivated by a desire to relieve the itch of insect bites, but her open and complex environment, compared to most livestock, and her regular interactions with humans, enabled her extraordinary cognitive abilities to emerge.
The implication is that this kind of technical problem solving is not limited to species with large brains, hands or beaks. “[Veronika] “She did not design tools like the cow in Gary Larson’s cartoon, but she selected, modified, and used one with remarkable ingenuity and flexibility. Perhaps the true absurdity lies not in imagining a cow using a tool, but in assuming that such a thing could never exist,” the authors write.
DOI: Current Biology, 2025. 10.1016/j.cub.2025.11.059 (About digital IDs).