Jan. 20 (UPI) -- Researchers in Austria detailed the unusual case of the first cow to be documented using tools -- specifically, sticks and brushes she uses to scratch herself.
The team from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna said Veronika, a pet Swiss brown cow belonging to Carinthia resident Witgar Wiegele, has been holding sticks in her mouth to scratch her body for years.
Wiegele said Veronika first started picking up pieces of wood about a decade ago, and moved on to using a long brush -- even showing a preference for using the brush end to scratch where her skin is thickest, and the handle end to scratch her more sensitive areas.
The researchers published their findings in the journal Current Biology.
Alice Auersperg, a cognitive biologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine, said Veronika's behavior could lead to a complete reassessment of farm animal intelligence.
