by Frank Conahan
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Scientists have been forced to rethink the intelligence of cattle after an Austrian cow named Veronika displayed an impressive—and until now undocumented—knack for tool use. Photo: Veronika scratching her back with a stick. Photographer: Antonio J Osuna Mascaró —The Guardian, January 19, 2026 |
I was reading that
A cow in Austria is
Using a stick to
Scratch various parts of her
Body. She holds it
Differently in her mouth to
Reach her itchy parts.
This is news because she's not
A chimp. They do stuff
Like this all the time, it seems.
Animals who have
Intelligence of different
Degrees use tools with
Different sophistication.
Dogs and cats play with
Toys, slippers, sticks, and corpses.
Ravens manipulate
Stones. Chimps employ weaponry.
Why are we surprised?
Intelligent animals
Use tools, look at us.
We're practically destroying
The planet with ours.
(Intelligence is... complex.)
I hope the cow is
Enjoying celebrity.
She could be dinner soon.
Frank Conahan lives in reclusive retirement outside of Baltimore, Maryland. He follows current events with trepidation and copes by writing verse. He has recently published poems with Bards of Maryland. His collection Nothing Is Coming will be published this spring.
