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looorg [soylentnews.org] writes:

Humans use tools, it's one of the things that make us great. Some of the other smarter monkeys also use tools. Next up we have Cows. Cow tool users. Beware the bovine master race ... also lactose tolerant.

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.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cow-using-tools [nationalgeographic.com]

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