For decades, the study of animal intelligence has focused on primates, birds, and a select few species deemed “clever” enough for serious consideration. But a growing body of research is upending this bias, revealing cognitive abilities in creatures we’ve long dismissed as simple-minded. A recent study out of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna takes this trend to a startling conclusion: cows are capable of flexible, multi-purpose tool use – a trait previously thought unique to primates and a handful of other species.
The Cow Who Figured It Out
The subject of this research, a pet cow named Veronika, spontaneously learned to use a broom to scratch herself. She didn’t just scratch with it; she flipped it to use both the bristled end for her back and the smoother handle for her more sensitive underside. This isn’t just random behavior: it demonstrates an understanding of the tool’s properties and how to adapt it to different needs.
This is the first documented instance of such versatile tool use in a non-primate mammal. Why does this matter? Because it forces us to reconsider what we assume about animal cognition, especially in species we exploit for food.
Tool Use Isn’t Just About Instinct
For a long time, “tool use” was defined narrowly. Building a nest doesn’t count, because the materials become fixed once in place. True tool use requires dynamic manipulation – cracking nuts with a rock, digging insects with a twig. This kind of behavior was once considered uniquely human, but Jane Goodall’s observations of chimpanzees using tools in the 1960s changed that.
Since then, tool use has been found in everything from antlion larvae to digger wasps. However, most of these behaviors are highly specialized, baked into their genes over millions of years. Veronika’s behavior is different: she wasn’t taught, she figured it out herself.
The Three Ingredients of Intelligence
Psychologist Josep Call identifies three key components of creative tool use:
- Understanding Physical Properties: Knowing how an object works.
- Problem-Solving: Applying that knowledge to a new situation.
- Manipulation: The physical capacity and inclination to use the tool.
Veronika demonstrates all three. She learned how the broom felt, realized it could reach an itch, and then manipulated it effectively. This isn’t just about physical ability: squirrel monkeys have similar hands, but only capuchin monkeys actively manipulate objects.
Morality and Our Minds About Animals
Research consistently shows that our perception of an animal’s intelligence directly influences how we treat it. Participants in studies rate animals with perceived lower mental capacity as more edible, while those with higher intelligence are seen as less suitable for consumption. Even framing matters: telling people a creature is a food source makes them view it as less capable of suffering.
The link is clear: how we see an animal’s mind shapes our moral calculus. Veronika’s story is just the first of many that will challenge our assumptions about livestock.
The biggest obstacle isn’t scientific ignorance, but cognitive dissonance. It’s easier to deny animals have minds than to confront the ethical implications of how we treat them. The more we learn, the harder it will be to ignore the truth: these creatures are far more aware, capable, and deserving of respect than we’ve given them credit for.
