Logo

She is not as udder-ly irresistible as they hoped.

Norma Jean, a seductress heifer-in-heat named for the silver screen sex symbol Marilyn Monroe, failed to entice a runaway Long Island bull out from hiding despite her sultry scent and sensuous mooing, her handlers said Thursday.

“She was mooing and out there,” Frank Floridia, president of Strong Island Animal Rescue, told The Post of the bovine temptress.

“The scent was there, and despite the amazing efforts of the team, he didn’t show up.”

Nerves may have gotten the best of the barnyard babe, who stands nearly 4-feet tall with a dark coat, doe eyes and an inviting personality, said her owner, Lauren Cariello.

“She seemed a little nervous getting off the trailer with all the people around. She [clung] to me, glued my to side,” Cariello said. “I don’t think her moos carried far enough.”


  Rescue teams bring Norma Jean, a cow in heat, out to the area where the bull was last seen, hoping she would draw him out of hiding, in Morchies, New York. Dennis A. Clark Rescue teams bring Norma Jean, a cow in heat, out to the area where the bull was last seen, hoping she would draw him out of hiding, in Morchies, New York. Dennis A. Clark

  The rescue tean tries to direct the cow, Norma Jean, in the direction of the escaped bull. Dennis A. Clark The rescue tean tries to direct the cow, Norma Jean, in the direction of the escaped bull. Dennis A. Clark

But the horndog heifer isn’t normally so shy — and she may return to try again, she said.

“She is very loud, she has a lot to say. We have a big farmhouse with a lot of windows and if she sees you, she starts mooing,”  Cariello said of the 800-pound, 2-year-old miniature Jersey cow. “She’s like a big golden retriever, happy and friendly.”

On Tuesday morning, the roughly 1,500-pound bull busted out of a farm on Barnes Road in Manorville by breaking through a fence, police said. He was scheduled to be slaughtered the next day, Newsday reported.


  Norma Jean being used to lure the stray bull. Dennis A. Clark Norma Jean being used to lure the stray bull. Dennis A. Clark

The raging bull, who animal rescuers have since nicknamed Barney, then made a run for it along the Sunrise Highway, forcing police to shut it down at Exit 58 before reopening the roadway 20 minutes later.

That night, the on-the-lam bovine was spotted near the slaughterhouse on a night vision camera, leading local animal rescue organizations to believe he may have been heading back to the area to sleep at night, Floridia said.

So around 6 p.m. Wednesday, they brought in the hot-to-trot cow from a local farm — hoping the bull would fancy a roll in the hay.


  Frank Floridia of Strong Island Animal Rescue holds a tranquilizer gun in their search for the bull. Here he is joined by John Di Leonardo of Long Island Orchestrating for Nature. Dennis A. Clark Frank Floridia of Strong Island Animal Rescue holds a tranquilizer gun in their search for the bull. Here he is joined by John Di Leonardo of Long Island Orchestrating for Nature. Dennis A. Clark

But ultimately background noise from a nearby stream and the highway may have drowned out the critter’s flirty calls, Cariello said

“We tied her up for a couple hours and she mooed her little head off,” she said. “I don’t think her moos carried far enough.”

The mission — which lasted about two-and-a-half hours — ended with no bull in sight.


  Police attempt to wrangle the escaped bull in Morchies, New York. SCPD Police attempt to wrangle the escaped bull in Morchies, New York. SCPD

A video shows a woman on horseback leading the way as the man held a rope attached to the cow, guiding her through a vast meadow.

Meanwhile, rescuers on Thursday used thermal cameras to track the bull through a swampy area — and instead tried to entice him with food instead of sex.

They set up a pen of molasses-sweetened grain and hay in an effort to coax him out of the trees, said Lisa Jaeger, owner of JR Animal Rescue Inc, one of several groups tracking the bull.  


  The bull is seen standing on a homeowner’s property in Suffolk County. SCPD The bull is seen standing on a homeowner’s property in Suffolk County. SCPD

“We’re trying to lure him out with food and see how that works,” said Jaeger. “We’re trying to get him on stronger, safer ground so we can apprehend him.”

The bull likely won’t wander out of the comfortable wooded area on his own, she said.

“He’s got greens. He’s got water. He’s got shade. He’s in heaven right now. We’re lucky he’s where he is with a water house because we believe he’ll stay right where is,” Jaeger said.


  A resident of Montgomery Ave. dressed as a matador. Dennis A. Clark A resident of Montgomery Ave. dressed as a matador. Dennis A. Clark

As cops and rescuers tried to wrangle the animal, a neighbor dressed up as a bullfighter — complete with a red matador flag — to poke fun at the wild situation.

Mike Stura, owner of Skylands Sanctuary & Animal Rescue in Wantage, New Jersey, said he’ll take the bull once he’s been wrangled.

“[Livestock normally] go unseen until you see them under cellophane in the store. So this guy puts a face to those animals and I love it,” he said.

“He’ll hopefully live a nice, long, healthy life and die of old age one day.”

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy