Magnetoreception, the ability to detect changes in a magnetic field to perceive direction or altitude, has long been observed in many animals, most notably birds. It wasn’t until 2008 using Google Earth that a German-led team of scientists concluded cows might also be able to sense the Earth’s magnetic field. ‘Magnetic cows’ are visible from space.
A Czech team of scientists was critical of the German teams’ findings. While it is good science to confirm hypotheses, apparently it can cause bad feelings. The Germans fired back that the Czechs included images taken of cows near power lines which would throw off the magnetic effect. Not only that, the stupid Czechs mistook sheep and haystacks as cows. The Czechs said no, they did not make such stupid mistakes and abandoned any further research into the matter.
Magnetic cow findings cause row among Google Earth researchers.
Luckily, others have also had a look at the work that both teams did and have done some looking of their own, and most apparently, at least at this point, are siding with the first team, saying that there does indeed seem to be some evidence that shows that cows, for whatever reason, do indeed tend to align themselves with the Earth’s magnetic field lines. Which means, of course, we can all smile inwardly and get on with our day, safe in the knowledge that the world’s scientists are hard at work trying to solve the great mysteries of our time.
Sometimes veterinarians and farmers have cows swallow magnets to prevent odd bits of metal from entering the digestive tract. Maybe that is the explanation for the mysterious behavior.
h/t dogbite
Finally! An explanation of why my cows are covered with metal debris every night when they get home!