Hoose or a Morse?

Is Bambi a hoose or a morse?

Montreal - A rare mating of a wild moose and a mare resulted in the birth of a funny-looking colt with a big head and long legs, a rancher in French-speaking Quebec province said on Monday.

But veterinarians are conducting tests to confirm his claim.

Bambi, born 11 weeks ago in the Gaspe Peninsula after a mysterious conception, has the head of a moose atop a horse frame, Francois Larocque told AFP. "It's not an ordinary colt."

He told Le Soleil newspaper: "When the mare gave birth, my sisters said: 'It has a moose head.'"

Passers-by spotted more similarities to a moose in the foal: Bambi has elongated legs and likes to hang out in a nearby forest where moose typically venture, Larocque said.

"I have serious doubts because there has never been a birth from a moose and a horse reported, even though some have mated," he said. "It's more likely that it's a deformed animal."

The rancher insists he sterilised his only two stallions a month prior to Bambi's conception and there are no other male horses in the region, only a few moose in a nearby wildlife reserve.