Many people love virtual reality (VR), so why not cows?
Why These Cows Are Wearing VR Glasses
Using VR for more than just humans seems to be the idea behind a new attempt to provide cows with high-tech entertainment during the winter. Cows on a farm in Turkey are being outfitted with VR equipment, but animal rights activists are crying bloody murder.
The VR "is likely causing these underprivileged cows to become stressed and fearful," Catie Cryar, a spokesperson for animal rights organization PETA, told Lifewire in an email interview. "PETA can think of few things more dystopian or despicable than locking a cow in a filthy pen for her entire life, stealing every baby she has, and treating her like a milking machine until her body gives out, all while using virtual reality (VR) goggles to show her the picturesque life she will never have in an attempt to increase her milk supply."
According to reports, cattle breeder Izzet Kocak is attaching VR headsets to some of his 180 cows in an effort to reduce stress levels among the cattle during the long winter, when they are often cooped up in barns. Kocak said the experiment has allowed the cows to increase their milk production from 22 liters to 27 liters.
