Flexible use of a multi-purpose tool by a cow

Scientific Concepts and Discoveries

The study investigated whether a cow named Veronica demonstrated flexible, goal-oriented tool use. This type of tool use involves employing tools purposefully, repetitively, and in ways adapted to the tool’s functional properties.

• Flexible Tool Use in Animals: Veronica’s behavior was analyzed to see if she used tools in a flexible and goal-directed manner.
• Multi-Purpose Tool Use: Veronica used a single asymmetrical tool—a deck scrap brush broom—with two distinct ends differently. This indicated her understanding of the tool’s physical properties and her ability to apply them appropriately to different body parts.
• Tool Functionality and Body Area Specificity: She used the broom’s hard bristles to scratch her upper back, which has thick skin, and the blunt stick end for her lower body, which has softer skin. This shows sensitivity to both the tool’s material and the needs of different body areas.
• Egocentric Tool Use: Veronica’s behavior qualifies as egocentric tool use, meaning she used the tool to achieve personal goals, specifically scratching parts of her body that were otherwise unreachable.
• Cognitive Abilities of Domesticated Cows: Despite a long history of domestication, cows’ cognitive capabilities—especially regarding tool use—have been underestimated and are only recently being studied.

Methodology

• Subject: Veronica, a 13-year-old Swiss Brown Braunvieh cow living in southern Austria.
• Study Design:
  • Conducted over 7 sessions with a total of 70 trials.
  • Provided Veronica with an asymmetrical tool featuring two different functional ends.
• Hypothesis:
  • Veronica would use the broom end to scratch herself.
  • She would use the tool to reach parts of her body that are otherwise unreachable.
• Observations:
  • Veronica used the broom end more frequently than the stick end for scratching.
  • Different ends of the tool were used for different body areas, corresponding to skin thickness.

Implications

• Veronica’s use of a multi-purpose tool is rare in nature and has previously been mainly documented in chimpanzees.
• This discovery challenges the underestimation of cows’ cognitive abilities.
• It encourages recognition of cows as capable of flexible, purposeful tool use.

Researchers and Sources

• Witgar, the researcher presenting Veronica and the study.