Unexpected ability in Austrian cow

Veronika, a Brown Swiss cow, has developed a surprising ability (1)! The cow, who lives in the Austrian Alps, has found international fame for her learned talent to use a long deck brush to scratch parts of her body that would otherwise be unreachable. 

There is a common misconception that cows have only basic cognitive skills, which is why Veronika has become such a celebrity. Cows typically scratch their bodies on natural objects in their environments, like trees.

Beyond using the tool, Veronika developed a sophisticated strategy. She began to use both ends of the deck brush to meet her different needs. According to Science News (article linked below), “Manipulating one tool for multiple purposes has been seen consistently only in chimpanzees.”

An important fact is that Veronika is a pet and is raised on a smaller farm. People wonder whether this environment contributed to Veronika’s ability and whether it could also be present in a similar animal raised in a very different environment (for example, on a large, industrial farm).

Veronika’s abilities are a reminder that animals can be very sophisticated, and are only growing more talented. It also paves a path for more animal cognition research to happen.

(1) www.sciencenews.org/article/tool-using-cow-cognition-scratch

This article was adapted from Science News’ This tool-using cow defies expectations for bovine braininess by Erin Garcia de Jesús.

Garcia de Jesús, Erin. “This Tool-Using Cow Defies Expectations for Bovine Braininess.” Science News, 19 Jan. 2026, www.sciencenews.org/article/tool-using-cow-cognition-scratch.