Cows. Photograph: Brian Brown/Getty
Members of the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers have claimed that their herds have developed a unique regional accent, influenced by the drawn-out vowels and long "r" of the farmers' Somerset drawl. The farmers believe the phenomenon is a product of the extensive quality time they spend with their bovine friends, not to mention the classical music they pipe into the beasts' barns to improve the flavour of the cheese.
Academics have not ruled out the possibility of distinctive regional mooing. John Wells, professor of phonetics at UCL, points out that studies into birdsong have recorded certain species as having a different chirp dependent on location. Extending this theory to cows, he adds: "In small populations such as herds you would encounter identifiable dialectical variations which are most affected by the immediate peer group."
Prof Wells thinks it is unlikely the farmers' accents have directly affected the mooing but he does believe the cows may respond with different sounds to strangers and to the humans they have regular contact with.
Urban birds have been known to imitate the sounds of their environment, such as car alarms and mobile phones, although there is no documented evidence of cows mimicking ramblers or milking machines.
Not convinced? Listen to these recordings of cows mooing in Essex, Lancaster, Norfolk and Somerset and make your own mind up.
We can argue till the cows come home about whether there really is a difference, or if it is all just a cheesy PR stunt.
