Overview
- Researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna published the single-case study in Current Biology after a video led them to the cow’s Alpine farm in Carinthia.
- Veronika, a 13-year-old companion animal, manipulated a broom with her mouth, holding it between incisors and molars to control orientation and pressure with precision.
- She alternated between stiff bristles for tougher skin and the smooth handle for sensitive areas such as the udder and abdomen, adjusting technique to the task.
- The behavior was spontaneous and untrained, building on years of self-directed stick use observed by owner Witgar Wiegele.
- The authors emphasize the finding reveals latent potential in enriched settings rather than common behavior in commercial herds, highlighting research biases and welfare implications.