Japanese researchers won a satirical Ig Nobel Prize for a study that found painting zebra-like stripes on cows can help protect them from biting flies. The research, which was published in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, showed that painting cows with simple, water-based paint reduced the number of biting flies on the animals by up to 50 percent. This is a significant finding because biting flies are a major pest for cattle, causing stress, reducing weight gain in beef cattle, and decreasing milk yields in dairy cows.

Currently, farmers typically use insecticides to combat these pests. The study's findings suggest a potential alternative that could lower dependency on chemicals, thus reducing the risk of insecticide-resistant flies and contaminated products. The Japanese study builds on previous research that found biting flies land less often on white horses compared to darker ones. However, the article notes that a more permanent solution than water-based paint would be necessary for this method to be practical for farmers. As a result, bovine zebras are not likely to be a common sight on farms anytime soon. The story is from Oddity Central.