I've never had a problem eating a burger and I'm not about to start now. But you can imagine that this news will rile up the vegetarians and vegans (then again what doesn't?).
National Geographic reports:
Veronika, a cow living in an idyllic mountain village in the Austrian countryside, has spent years perfecting the art of scratching herself with sticks, rakes, and deck brushes. Now that scientists have discovered her, she has the distinction of the first cow known to use tools.
She picks up objects with her tongue, grips them tight with her mouth, and directs their ends to where she wants them most. When she's wielding a deck brush, she will use the bristled end to scratch her thick-skinned back, but switches to the smooth handle when scratching her soft, sensitive belly.
Ookay maybe -- MAYBE -- I will reconsider that Sloppy Joe next time. Maybe.
Watching ol' Veronika go at her itches with this broom really is something:
Now, as you may be aware, cows aren't really known for using tools. They're cows! In fact, the term "bovine" is itself associated with stupidity and lack of ability:
Indeed, the term "cow tools" is famously associated with a notorious Gary Larson cartoon, one that most people didn't get but which showed a cow standing over a bench of crude, inoperable, cow-made tools:
Yet scientists are now saying that Veronika's tool usage indicates a potential special tool aptitude among domestic cows:
In a new study, published in the journal Current Biology, scientists from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna analyzed Veronika's behavior and concluded that it qualifies as a tool use. Despite roughly 10,000 years of humans living with cattle, this is the first time scientists have documented a cow using a tool.
The researchers say their discovery not only shows that cows are smarter than we think they are, but also that other cows could develop similar skills, given the chance.
I'm not giving up steak. But still interesting!
Oh, and I told you it would rile up the vegans 👇
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