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ISC Stormcast For Wednesday, January 21st, 2026 https://isc.sans.edu/podcastdetail/9774
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Cow astonishes scientists with rare tool use
Watch: Veronika the cow shows off her unique skills Scientists are rethinking what cattle are capable of after an Austrian cow named Veronika was found to use tools with impressive skill.
The discovery, reported by researchers in Vienna, suggests cows may have far greater cognitive abilities than previously assumed.
Veronika, a cow living in a mountain village in the Austrian countryside, has spent years perfecting the art of scratching herself using sticks, rakes, and brooms.
Word of her behaviour eventually reached animal intelligence specialists in Vienna, who found Veronika used both ends of the same object for different tasks.
Antonio J Osuna MascaróVeronika, a Swiss brown cow living in Austria If it were her back or another tough area that warranted a good scratch, she 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.
This kind of tool use is rarely seen in the animal kingdom and has never been documented in cattle before.
Dr Antonio Osuna-Mascaro of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna said: “We were not expecting cows to be able to use tools, and we were not expecting a cow to use a tool as a multipurpose tool. Until now this has only been consistently reported in chimpanzees.”
Getty ImagesChimpanzees show sophisticated tool use, such as using a stick to get fruit from a box Chimpanzees show the most varied range of tool use outside of humans. They use sticks to gather ants and termites, and stones to crack nuts.
However, despite about 10,000 years of humans living alongside cattle, this is the first time scientists have documented a cow using a tool.
The researchers say their discovery shows that cows are smarter than we think and that other cows could develop similar skills, given the chance.
As for Veronika’s owner, organic farmer Witgar Wiegele, he hopes her unexpected talents will inspire people to value the natural world.
As he puts it: “Save the nature, then you protect yourself. Nature diversity is the key to survive on this planet.”
The study is published in the journal Current Biology.
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Ex-president accused of murder plot expelled from Togo
Togo has arrested and extradited Burkina Faso’s former leader to his home country, after authorities in Ouagadougou accused him of plotting to kill his successor.
Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba – who came to power in a coup in 2022 before himself being overthrown by Ibrahim Traoré eight months later – is accused by the current regime of masterminding an assassination attempt against Traoré.
According to the Togolese justice ministry, Damiba was handed over to the Burkinabè authorities on Saturday.
It says as part of the deal, Burkina Faso promised to ensure “physical integrity, dignity and fair‑trial rights of Mr Paul‑Henri Sandaogo Damiba, and the absence of the death penalty”.
Among the charges levelled at Damiba by Burkina Faso’s military government are “criminal embezzlement of public funds, illicit enrichment, corruption, aggravated receiving of stolen goods and money laundering”, said Togo’s justice ministry in a statement.
No comments from Damiba on the charges have been reported and neither have the BBC’s calls to him been picked up.
Most serious are the murder plot allegations.
Earlier this month, Burkina Faso’s Security Minister Mahamadou Sana announced on state television that security forces had foiled a planned series of targeted assassinations aimed at destabilising the state, including what he called the “neutralisation” of Traoré.
Officials in Ouagadougou have repeatedly accused Damiba of orchestrating plots from exile. In late 2024, he was again named publicly as the head of what authorities described as the “military wing” of a broader conspiracy.
Damiba first seized power in January 2022, toppling the elected government of Roch Marc Christian Kaboré amid frustration over the state’s failure to curb Islamist violence.
But after just eight months, he was himself overthrown by Traoré, then a 34‑year‑old artillery officer who accused him of failing to deliver security improvements.
Since then, the Traoré-led junta has tightened its grip on the country, expelling French forces, adopting an assertive nationalist stance and recently reinstating the death penalty, including for crimes of high treason.
Despite promises to restore order, Burkina Faso remains mired in one of the world’s most severe security crises, with militant jihadist attacks continuing across large parts of the country.
The return of Damiba to Burkina Faso, under arrest and possibly facing a long list of criminal charges, is expected to escalate tensions within the military and political establishment.
Political observers suggest that repeated accusations, foiled plots and widening divisions within the armed forces will likely lead to questions about the stability of a government still confronting both a brutal insurgency and internal rivalries.
Additional reporting by Natasha Booty
