Experts Paint Eyes on Cow Butts—and It Works

Researchers find a low-cost way to save cattle in Botswana

Want to save cattle from predatory attacks? First, paint eyeballs on their butts. Then see what happens. That's pretty much the gist of a new study out of Botswana—and it worked, Happy Mag reports. Researchers at the University of South Wales painted the eyes on cow butts to stop big cats like lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas from turning the cattle into lunch. In fact, the scientists tried it on 14 different herds, dividing each into three groups: one with butt eyes, one with a cross on the backside, and one au naturel. Over four years, none of the cows with extra eyes were attacked, compared to four with the cross and 15 left unmarked.
https://www.newser.com/story/294792/cows-with-butt-eyes-ward-off-deadly-attacks.html
 

Fascinating. Over here people sometimes resort to painting eyes on large plastic ice cream containers and wearing them as a hat, eyes facing to the rear, to deter swooping magpies. Apparently it works better than just wearing the containers without the eyes.
 


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