"That's why a pet Swiss brown cow in Austria named Veronika has caused a bit of a sensation: she likes to pick up random sticks and use them to scratch herself. According to a new paper published in the journal Current Biology, this is a form of multipurpose tool use and suggests that the cognitive capabilities of cows have been underestimated by scientists."
"As previously reported, tool use was once thought to be one of the defining features of humans, but examples of it were eventually observed in primates and other mammals. Dolphins can toss objects as a form of play which some scientists consider to be a type of tool use, particularly when it involves another member of the same species. Potential purposes include a means of communication, social bonding, or aggressiveness. (Octopuses have also been observed engaging in similar throwing behavior.)"
"But the biggest surprise came when birds were observed using tools in the wild. After all, birds are the only surviving dinosaurs, and mammals and dinosaurs hadn't shared a common ancestor for hundreds of millions of years. In the wild, observed tool use has been limited to the corvids (crows and jays), which show a variety of other complex behaviors-they'll remember your face and recognize the passing of their dead."
Veronika, a pet Swiss brown cow in Austria, picks up random sticks and uses them to scratch herself, demonstrating multipurpose tool use. Researchers identify this behavior as evidence that cow cognition has been underestimated. Tool use has been documented in primates and other mammals. Dolphins toss objects for play or social purposes, and octopuses exhibit similar throwing behavior. Wild birds, especially corvids, display notable tool use and complex behaviors such as facial recognition and responses to death. Captive birds like a cockatoo named Figaro have modified objects to reach food, showing problem-solving and flexibility across taxa.
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