Science Ig Nobel Prize: Zebra cows fend off fly attacks

[thomas]

A team of Japanese researchers has been awarded this year's Ig Nobel Prize in biology for an unusual experiment in which they dressed a cow to look like a zebra to protect it from biting insects. The prize was announced on 18 September 2025, marking the nineteenth year in a row that Japanese scientists have been recognised. The Ig Nobel is a parody of the Nobel Prize, highlighting research that makes people laugh while also giving them something to think about. The award is organised by the magazine Annals of Improbable Research, which focuses on humorous scientific topics.

The study arose after he learned that livestock farmers were experiencing problems caused by bugs feasting on their animals. Previous studies have shown that blood-suckers such as horseflies or stable flies are harmful to livestock and can affect cows' behaviour. For example, not only can they spread bovine leukosis and other diseases, but the pain and itchiness of the bites may snowball into stress that manifests in stunted growth and the production of less milk. Three black cows were chosen as the canvas for the experiment after Kojima became aware of the theory that zebras' patterning deters hungry insects. One cow was painted with white stripes to mimic a zebra's, another was given black stripes, and the third was unadorned. After totalling the number of blood-sucking insects seen in photos taken of each cow from the right, researchers found the white-striped bovine had half as many on it as the other two. That cow also exhibited fewer behaviours typical of repelling insects, such as shaking its head or swishing its tail.

Japan wins 19th Ig Nobel Prize for painting stripes on a cow | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Cows painted with zebra-like striping can avoid biting fly attack

Experimental and comparative studies suggest that the striped coats of zebras can prevent biting fly attacks. Biting flies are serious pests of livestock that cause economic losses in animal production. We hypothesized that cows painted with black and white stripes on their body could avoid...

journals.plos.org

 

[Ukigumo]

Tsetse fly bites transmit animal trypanosomiasis (and thus Human African Trypanosomiasis) in Africa so this is a great, useful piece of research!