Japanese Scientists Awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for Painting Cows with Zebra-like Stripes

Japanese scientists received the Ig Nobel Prize in biology for discovering the protective properties of black-and-white stripes on animals’ bodies. This was reported on the official Ig Nobel Prize website, according to Gazeta.ru.

“We are very happy to receive this award for proving that biting flies and mosquitoes attack cows painted with zebra-like black-and-white stripes less frequently,” said Tomoki Kodzima, an employee of Japan’s National Agriculture and Food Research Organization.

In October 2019, a team of scientists led by Kodzima published the results of their unusual research. The study showed that flies and horseflies attack cows with protective zebra-like stripes on their bodies less often. Several years earlier, British scientists had made a similar discovery, finding that zebra stripes confuse insects and prevent them from identifying dangerous zones on the body. Painting stripes on cows helps protect them from blood-sucking insects.

During the experiment, scientists painted black stripes on white cows and white stripes on black cows, then counted the frequency of insect attacks. The result was surprising: the number of horseflies landing on the cows was reduced by half. The researchers believe this method could be beneficial for farmers.