Vermont: End of an Affair

A spurned suitor, no matter how devoted, has his limits. For 76 days, through the mating season and beyond, a love-struck moose pursued his beloved Hereford cow, Jessica, around a Shrewsbury, Vt., pasture as thousands of delighted tourists gawked, clicked and bought souvenir T shirts. The decidedly odd couple never coupled, of course; he was affectionate, if not ardent, but she was shy. Last week Bullwinkle gave up and headed back into the woods. He had lost his antlers, as young moose do at this time of year, and with them his libido. Will he return next season? Not likely, say wildlife biologists: next year Bullwinkle will have a larger set of antlers and a better chance of wooing and winning one of his own kind.