This tool-using cow stunned scientists with her smarts

behavior: The way something (often a person or other organism) conducts itself or acts towards others.

biology: The study of living things. The scientists who study them are known as biologists.

cognition: The mental processes of thought, remembering, learning information and interpreting those data that the senses send to the brain.

environment: The sum of all of the things that exist around some organism or the process and the condition those things create. Environment may refer to the weather and ecosystem in which some animal lives, or, perhaps, the temperature and humidity (or even the placement of things in the vicinity of an item of interest).

New Zealand: An island nation in the southwest Pacific Ocean, roughly 1,500 kilometers (some 900 miles) east of Australia. Its “mainland” — consisting of a North and South Island — is quite volcanically active. In addition, the country includes many far smaller offshore islands.

species: A group of similar organisms capable of producing offspring that can survive and reproduce.

tool: An object that a person or other animal makes or obtains and then uses to carry out some purpose such as reaching food, defending itself or grooming.

veterinary: Having to do with animal medicine or health care.