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+--- Thread: Article Cow over the moon after finding back-scratcher gadget (/thread-19674.html)
Cow over the moon after finding back-scratcher gadget - confused2 - Jan 25, 2026
![[Image: ee8f3280-f5f5-11f0-a745-635c33f47272.jpg.webp]](https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/976/cpsprodpb/dac4/live/ee8f3280-f5f5-11f0-a745-635c33f47272.jpg.webp)
Quote:If it were her back or another tough area that warranted a good scratch, she [Veronika the cow] would use the bristle end of a broom.
When a softer touch was needed, such as on her sensitive underbelly, she would use the smooth handle end.
More: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0n127y74go
RE: Cow over the moon after finding back-scratcher gadget - C C - Jan 25, 2026
Probably happens more often than we think among animals, but the oddball member of a group just dies off without its eccentricity being passed on. If cattle were primates, they might imitate an individual among them engaging in unique or anomalous behavior, so that the latter would spread and be maintained over generations in the herd. But apparently "aping" is just not in them.
While there are plenty of species that do mimic other species in various ways (camouflage, calls, etc), it seems to be an inherited tendency or capacity, rather learned. Not some kind of opportunistic attention roving in a social species obsessed with hierarchal status, like: "What's that weirdo in our bunch doing over there? I'll do the same thing to mock him/her. Hey, that results in something interesting..."
RE: Cow over the moon after finding back-scratcher gadget - Secular Sanity - Jan 25, 2026
The comparison with dogs...that one is going to bug me. I'll have to try not to think about it when eating my steak.
RE: Cow over the moon after finding back-scratcher gadget - Zinjanthropos - Jan 26, 2026
True story. Out on a lake fishing in a boat. Noticed water swirling nearby, appeared to be a creature with black fur, moved closer, wasn’t fur, just a mass of flies perched on top of the head of a cow swimming in circles. Figured cow driven mad by these biting flies and jumped in for relief. Went on for 15 mins before cow went back on land to join the herd. No other cow attempted same feat.
Would use of water for relief be considered tool use? I mean lots of critters choose water, mud, dirt, trees, etc to tend to their itchiness.
What about the flies finding refuge?