Meet Veronika the cow, who can fit a brush in her mouth to SCRATCH THAT ITCH

Scientists say they have found the first experimentally verified instance of cattle using a tool. A cow named Veronika has been recorded using a brush to itch away. The 13-year-old cow curls her tongue around the wooden handle and brings it to her mouth, taking it to various parts of her body while swinging her head, the Washington Post reported. Interestingly, Veronika has never been trained to use a brush or any other tool. This shows that cattle likely possess cognitive abilities that have never been thought about before. The findings were published Monday in the journal Current Biology. Researchers say cattle have been living alongside humans for thousands of years, yet no one has ever shown curiosity about the behaviour and intelligence of cows. Veronika lives in Austria and is owned by Witgar Wiegele, a farmer and baker, who has her as a pet. He says that when she was about four years old, he saw her picking up sticks. He says he was amazed to see her do this.

Cow uses tools in different ways

The cow also has several other pet-like features, mostly seen in dogs and cats. “She enjoys being petted and having conversations. She recognises my and my mother’s voices from afar and hurries over, calling out to greet us.” Alice Auersperg, a cognitive biologist at the Messerli Research Institute at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, said she received videos of the cow using tools, and she wanted to explore more about her. Auersperg visited the farmer with her colleague, cognitive biologist Antonio J. Osuna-Mascaró. To observe her using a tool, they put a deck brush in front of Veronika. The cow picked it up and scratched herself 76 times. She even readjusted her grip when the brush started to slip away, or she couldn't reach the correct place.

Surprisingly, Veronika also knew that the same tool could be used in different ways. They saw her using the bristled end of the brush to forcefully scratch her upper body, while for the sensitive skin on her udder and belly flap, she used the smooth end for a gentle rub. Humans were long believed to be the only creatures capable of using tools. Later, they saw chimpanzees, elephants, orcas, crows, wolves, octopuses, fish and ants use various tools.