Veronika Became First Tool-Using Cow

In 2016, a pet cow named Veronika in Austria learned to grip fallen tree branches in her mouth and use them to scratch parts of her body she could not reach. Researchers later tested her with a deck brush and watched her use the bristles on thick upper-body skin and the smooth handle on delicate lower areas. A 2026 study described her behavior as the first scientifically documented example of tool use in cattle. Scientists do not consider Veronika unusually intelligent and suspect that humans have overlooked similar abilities in cows for thousands of years.

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