Science Ig Nobel Prize: Zebra cows fend off fly attacks

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.

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