Cattle Can Tell Directions

If you ever want to know which way is north or south, and you can’t seem to find your compass, there’s a simple solution: Just ask a cow for directions.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on August 31 2008

If you ever want to know which way is north or south, and you can’t seem to find your compass, there’s a simple solution: Just ask a cow for directions.

Our bovine friends may not have an ideal grasp of the English language, but somehow, they seem to have a sixth sense about the Earth’s magnetic poles: According to a recent study of satellite images from Google Earth, the vast majority of cattle spend their days in the field standing in a north-south direction, no matter what the weather or time of day. The researchers discovered that deer showed a similar skill for navigation.

“Google Earth is perfect for this kind of research, because the animals are undisturbed by the observer,” one of the study’s coauthors, Sabine Begall, told LiveScience.

The new research fits in with existing data about birds, turtles, and salmon, which are all known to follow particular migratory streams. No such studies have been done on humans, but as far as we can tell, we’re not likely to have the special navigational skill. After all, there’s a reason GPS was invented.

Filed under: Animals and Pets, Science,

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