A research has shown that the cattle can sense the direction of earth. They tend to face in the same direction while grazing. They align themselves along the north-south axis. It is revealed by scientists Sabine Begall and colleagues at the University of Duisburg. The images from Google Earth also give the idea of magnetism by the animals. Some old paints also reveal the polarizing factor in cattle due to the position of earth.

The team of researchers has found that the animals face toward either magnetic north or south while grazing and resting. It shows that they can experience the magnetic influence of earth. It is a well known fact that birds, turtles and salmon uses magnetic field of earth to guide their migrations in different seasons. Some species are expected to have an internal magnetic compass.

It is a first time that mammals have shown animal magnetism according to an associate professor of biomedical sciences at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The dogs and whales are supposed to have such magnetic compass.

The current study shows that red and roe deer also orient themselves along north-south direction when grazing and resting.