A Swiss Brown cow has been shown to use tools flexibly and deliberately, challenging long-standing assumptions about the cognitive limits of livestock.
In 1982, cartoonist Gary Larson introduced readers to Cow Tools, a now-famous Far Side comic that shows a cow standing confidently beside a collection of strange, impractical objects labeled as tools. The humor relied on a widely held belief that cows lack the intelligence needed to invent or use tools in any meaningful way.
More than four decades later, that idea is being reconsidered. A new study published in the Cell Press journal Current Biology reports the first documented case of tool use in a pet cow, offering evidence that cattle cognition may be more sophisticated than long assumed.
“The findings highlight how assumptions about livestock intelligence may reflect gaps in observation rather than genuine cognitive limits,” says Alice Auersperg, a cognitive biologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna.
A familiar assumption put to the test
Veronika is not raised for meat or milk. She is a Swiss Brown cow who has lived for many years as a companion animal with Witgar Wiegele, an organic farmer and baker who considers her part of his family. More than a decade ago, Wiegele began noticing an unusual habit. Veronika would sometimes pick up sticks and deliberately rub them against her body to relieve itching.
This behavior moved from curiosity to scientific interest after it was captured on video and sent to Auersperg. “When I saw the footage, it was immediately clear that this was not accidental,” she recalls. “This was a meaningful example of tool use in a species that is rarely considered from a cognitive perspective.”
Controlled tests reveal deliberate tool use
To investigate further, Auersperg and her colleague, Antonio Osuna-Mascaró, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, traveled to observe Veronika firsthand and conduct structured behavioral experiments. During a series of trials, they placed a deck brush on the ground in varying orientations. They carefully documented which end of the object Veronika chose and which part of her body she attempted to scratch.
Across multiple sessions, clear patterns emerged. Veronika’s selections were not random. Instead, her choices consistently matched the physical demands of the body region she was targeting, indicating purposeful and functionally appropriate use of the object rather than chance contact.
“We show that a cow can engage in genuinely flexible tool use,” says Osuna-Mascaró. “Veronika is not just using an object to scratch herself. She uses different parts of the same tool for different purposes, and she applies different techniques depending on the function of the tool and the body region.”
Researchers found that Veronika typically prefers the bristled end of a deck brush when scratching broad, firm areas such as her back. However, when targeting softer and more sensitive regions of her lower body, she switches to the smooth stick end. In addition, she adjusts how she handles the tool. Veronika’s upper-body scratching involves wide, forceful movements, while her lower-body scratching is slower, more careful, and highly controlled, the researchers say.
Rare evidence of flexible, multi-purpose tools
Tool use is defined as the manipulation of an external object to achieve a goal through mechanical means. Researchers found that Veronika’s behavior meets this definition and goes a step further, describing it as flexible, multi-purpose tool use, meaning that different features of the same object are used to achieve distinct functional outcomes. Such multi-purpose tool use is extraordinarily rare and, outside of humans, has previously been documented convincingly only in chimpanzees.
“Because she is using the tool on her own body, this represents an egocentric form of tool use, which is generally considered less complex than tool use directed at external objects,” says Osuna-Mascaró. “At the same time, she faces clear physical constraints, as she must manipulate tools with her mouth. What is striking is how she compensates for these limitations, anticipating the outcome of her actions and adjusting her grip and movements accordingly.”
The findings represent the first documented case of tool use in cattle and the first evidence of flexible, multi-purpose tool use in this species. They also expand the taxonomic range of animals known to possess this capacity.
Environment may unlock hidden abilities
The researchers note that Veronika’s life circumstances may have played an important role in the emergence of this behavior. Most cows do not reach her age, do not live in open and complex environments, and are rarely given the opportunity to interact with a variety of manipulable objects. Her long lifespan, daily contact with humans, and access to a rich physical landscape likely created favorable conditions for exploratory and innovative behavior.
“[Veronika] did not fashion tools like the cow in Gary Larson’s cartoon, but she selected, adjusted, and used one with notable dexterity and flexibility,” the researchers write. “Perhaps the real absurdity lies not in imagining a tool-using cow, but in assuming such a thing could never exist.”
The team is now interested in understanding which environmental and social conditions allow such behaviors to emerge in livestock species, and how many similar cases may have gone unnoticed simply because no one was looking for them. “Because we suspect this ability may be more widespread than currently documented,” Osuna-Mascaró says, “we invite readers who have observed cows or bulls using sticks or other handheld objects for purposeful actions to contact us.”
Reference: “Flexible use of a multi-purpose tool by a cow” by Antonio J. Osuna-Mascaró and Alice M.I. Auersperg, 19 January 2026, Current Biology.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2025.11.059
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4 Comments
There is no such thing as a Swiss Brown cow. She is a Brown Swiss cow. All Brown Swiss cows are brown and they give milk with very high cream content.
A brown cow of any nationality would have difficulty using a hand-held object.
And to think…we would never have known how smart Veronika is if she wasn’t so itchy. She’s so cute!
Cows are smart enough to not run with scissors…