‘Veronika’ Is the First Cow Known to Use a Tool | WIREDSkip to main contentMenuSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoMerchSearchSearchSign InSign InJorge GarayScienceJan 20, 2026 2:51 PM‘Veronika’ Is the First Cow Known to Use a ToolThis is the first recorded instance of a bovine using tools from her environment to relieve an itch—leaving scientists astonished.Photograph: Antonio J. Osuna Mascaró/Cell PressSave StorySave this storySave StorySave this storyJustice for Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson: A team of scientists has observed, for the first time, a cow using a tool in a flexible manner. The ingenuity of “Veronika,” as the animal is called, shows that cattle possess enough intelligence to manipulate elements of their environment and solve challenges they would otherwise be unable to overcome.Veronika is a pet cow in Austria. Her owners don't use her for meat or milk production. Nor was she trained to do tricks; on the contrary, for the past 10 years she has developed the ability to find branches in the grass, choose one, hold it with her mouth, and scratch herself with it to relieve skin irritation.Until now, only chimpanzees had convincingly demonstrated the ability to employ tools to improve their living conditions. Recent studies also point to whales as the only marine animals capable of using complex tools. This European cow is about to join that exclusive group of ingenious animals.Videos of Veronika circulating online caught the attention of veterinary researchers in Vienna. They visited the farm, conducted behavioral tests, and carried out controlled trials. “In repeated sessions, they verified that her decisions were consistent and functionally appropriate,” a press release stated.Veronika's abilities go beyond simply using a point to scratch herself, explain the authors of the study published in Current Biology. In the tests, the cow was offered different textures and objects, and she adapted according to her needs. Sometimes she chose soft bristles and other times a stiffer point. The researchers say she used different parts of the same tool for specific purposes and even modified her technique depending on the type of object or the area of ​​her body she wanted to scratch.Although they consider using a tool to relieve irritation “less complex” compared to, for example, using a sharp rock to access seeds, the specialists greatly value Veronika’s ability. For now, she demonstrates that she can decide which part of the tool is most useful to her. The finding suggests that we have underestimated the cognitive capacity of cattle, according to the authors.Why Is Veronika So Skilled?The team acknowledges that it's still too early to say that all cows can use tools with the same skill as Veronika. For now, the researchers are trying to determine how this cow developed an awareness of her surroundings.Researchers believe her particular circumstances played a role. Veronika has lived for 10 years in a complex, open environment filled with manipulable objects—a very different experience from that of cattle raised for milk and meat production. These conditions fostered exploratory and innovative behavior, they say. They are now searching for more videos of cattle using tools to gather further evidence about their cognitive abilities.“Until now, tool use was considered a select club, almost exclusively for primates (especially great apes, but also macaques and capuchins), some birds like corvids and parrots, and marine mammals like dolphins. Finding it in a cow is a fascinating example of convergent evolution: intelligence arises as a response to similar problems, regardless of how different the animal's 'design' may be,” said Miquel Llorente, director of the Department of Psychology at the University of Girona, who was not involved in the study, in a statement to the Science Media Centre Spain.You Might Also LikeIn your inbox: Maxwell Zeff's dispatch from the heart of the AI worldWelcome to the future of noise cancelingBig Story: Cashing in on the apocalypseSo long, GPT-5. Hello, QwenLivestream AMA: Welcome to the Chinese centuryJorge Garay is a contributor to WIRED en Español. 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“Veronika” represents a significant, and somewhat unexpected, advancement in our understanding of bovine cognition. As detailed by Jorge Garay, this European cow, residing in Austria and lacking any formal training, has demonstrably utilized a tool—a branch—to alleviate an itch, marking the first recorded instance of this behavior in a bovine. Prior to this observation, tool use was primarily attributed to primates, certain birds, and marine mammals. The study, published in *Current Biology*, highlights Veronika’s ability to select a suitable object, hold it with her mouth, and apply it to her skin to resolve irritation.

The research team, led by veterinary researchers in Vienna, employed a rigorous methodology, including repeated testing and observation to confirm Veronika’s consistent and functionally appropriate decisions. The key finding revolves around her capacity to adapt to different textures and object types, transitioning between softer bristles and stiffer points depending on her need. This level of nuanced selection represents a step beyond simple instinctive behavior, suggesting a degree of conscious problem-solving and an awareness of her environment.

Importantly, the researchers acknowledge that Veronika’s behavior doesn’t necessarily indicate that all cattle possess similar capabilities. However, the study’s implications are considerable. It challenges existing assumptions about the cognitive limitations of ungulates and prompts a re-evaluation of bovine intelligence. The circumstances surrounding Veronika’s development—a 10-year existence in an open, manipulable environment—are believed to have fostered exploratory and innovative behavior, contributing to her unique skill.

The findings are framed within the context of ‘convergent evolution,’ a process in which similar environmental pressures lead to analogous adaptations in unrelated species. As noted by Miquel Llorente, the use of a tool to mitigate irritation, despite its relative simplicity compared to tool use for accessing food, demonstrates a capacity for intelligent adaptation.

Ultimately, Veronika’s story illuminates the potential for unexpected cognitive abilities within the animal kingdom. It warrants further investigation into the factors that contribute to, or inhibit, tool use in different species, contributing to a broader understanding of the evolution of intelligence and problem-solving across the animal world.