Why a tool-using cow could change how we see farm animals Tool use is the act of manipulating an object so that its motion directly achieves a goal. Veronika, a pet cow (Bos taurus), expertly wields a broom to scratch herself. She uses the bristled end to scratch her back but then flips the tool to use the smoother stick end for her more sensitive underside. The researchers describe this as the first recorded instance of flexible, multi-purpose tool use in a non-primate mammal. What does this to