'Veronika' Is the First Cow Known to Use a Tool

'Veronika' Is the First Cow Known to Use a Tool This is the first recorded instance of a bovine using tools from her environment to relieve an itch--leaving scientists astonished. Justice for 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. 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.