ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A helicopter is not necessarily a match for an angry moose.

Instead of lying down after being shot with a tranquilizer dart, a moose charged a hovering helicopter used by a wildlife biologist, damaging the aircraft’s tail rotor and forcing it to the ground.

Neither the pilot nor the biologist was injured, but the moose was maimed by the spinning rotor and had to be euthanized, wildlife officials said.

“It just had to be one of those quirky circumstances. Even dealing with bears and goats and moose and wolves, this is pretty unusual and truly a very unique situation,” said Doug Larsen, regional supervisor for the Division of Wildlife Conservation.

BERLIN – Three teenagers may face a hefty fine if a court decides their festive firecrackers outside an eastern German farm scared the libido right out of an ostrich named Gustav.

Rico Gabel, a farmer in Lohsa, northeast of Dresden, is claiming $6,450 in damages for the alleged antics on Dec. 27-29, 2005, by the three teenagers.

The farmer claims that fireworks set off by the boys made the previously lustful Gustav both apathetic and depressed, and thus unable to perform for a half a year with his two female breeding partners, according to the lawsuit.

Before Gustav regained his sex drive in the second half of the year, the farmer estimates he lost out on 14 ostrich offspring – worth $460 apiece.