As a mostly northern country, we sometimes face interesting considerations.
Officials in Jasper National Park, Alberta, are warning motorists not to let moose lick the salt from their vehicles.
And they are extremely attracted to salt, especially the kind that may be all over your vehicle in the winter.
As you may imagine, an 820 kilo (1800 lb.) moose coming near your car might not be a good thing. It’s dangerous for them and you; moose can be aggressive and will charge if they feel threatened. And, as an added incentive, there’s a $25,000.00 fine for non-compliance.
Another reason for the problem is that the wolf population (the main moose predator) has been declining, and now there are more moose than usual.
The advice? Drive away carefully when you see moose approaching your vehicle.
If you’re interested, here’s the article.
Have a good week and remember, keep the neighbourhood moose away from the nibbles. 😉
In the Net! - Pictures and Stories of Life 
Just another problem that seems fitting for 2020.
I’m so glad it’s heading for the door. Annus horribilus.
It’s always so exciting to see wildlife near the side of the road, but it’s never good when they become used to humans (or their cars in this case).
Oh yes, I agree totally. I see lots of wildlife here on the sides of the roads, but I don’t stop unless I have to (bison love to stand in the road, for instance) and I certainly don’t get out of my vehicle. I saw a beautiful fox a couple of days ago, but only because I had slowed down for another reason. He was just sitting there, but it’s not wise to get out, even if it’s for a photo. They become acclimated to humans so quickly. Wildlife have enough problems as it is.
That’s definitely a sign I’ve never seen. I’d certainly pull away carefully.
Oh yes, pull away slowly and carefully. I once saw a couple of tourists approach a huge moose during mating season (they are very temperamental at that time); they were trying to pet it! So, so dangerous. A park officer came along and shooed them away (the tourists, not the moose). People can sometimes be such idiots.
That’s so 2020. I saw this on the evening news and was glad to see something that was not about Covid or the U.S. election. I would love to see a moose, but not licking my car. Stay well Lynette. Allan
Yes, it is! And yes, good to see something other than covid or politics. A few days ago I saw a very beautiful, healthy fox. No salt-licking, though. 🙂
I saw this on the news the other day! Oh, the things we humans have to worry about these days. If I do see a moose coming at me, I will drive away slowly and throw a salt lick out the window (LOL).
Hahaha. 🙂 They love their salt and actually need it to stay healthy. But as one of the other commentators said, “that’s so 2020.”
This is hilarious (sort of) in that a friend of mind just shared the same photos of that sign yesterday. I’m always fascinated at how different the wildlife is and acts in different areas of the world, so I thought this was cool to see.
I didn’t realise how much these photos are making the rounds. It’s certainly not a sign you see every day. When I was a child, my mother used to feed a moose that waited out hunting season in the trees at the bottom of our acreage (smart moose). He got all the vegetable leftovers and, of course, his very own salt lick. When hunting season was over, he would disappear until the following year. After about 10 years, he failed to arrive. He lived a very long life for a moose.
oh dear…I have never seen this sign!
It’s pretty unusual, but moose are members of the deer family. 😉
That’s a very good presentation — things like this read like a joke in the outside world, but they are not a joke, and you nicely make that point.
Thank you very much, Penny. 🙂 Our climate and wildlife are so mistreated; we really need to be respectful.
An American friend of mine, who was driving early one morning in Canada, had encounterd a moose. From memory it had been so huge, he had initially mistaken it for a horse.
They are pretty big, but the most dangerous part is that full set of antlers. Huge and very pointy. No one wants that coming at them. 😳
Never heard of this before. That’s so interesting. Be safe with those aggressive moose!
Thanks. 🙂 I am used to them; they were a regular sight as I was growing up. It’s pretty unusual to see signs like that, even here. 😉
I feel an urgent need to compose a whimsical story entitled “Do Not Let Moose Lick Your Car”. It’s a call I must answer… 😉
Yes! I would love to read that! I’m going to hold you to it. 😉
I wonder how many species are attracted to salt. Humans sure are.
In common with most mammals, moose crave salt so that they can access such nutrients as potassium and calcium. That’s definitely my excuse. 😉
Goodness! What starts out sounding so funny can actually be quite serious. I honestly had no idea it was a problem, but it makes sense.
I don’t think we have any moose here, they tend to hang out north of us.
It does sound funny and the media has been making light of it, but it is a serious problem, and unfortunately, the animals are usually the ones to suffer the most.
I would like to see wildlife. But most of the time it can be harmful to us.
Thanks for your comment. 🙂 We keep encroaching on their space, and whenever humans come into inappropriate contact with wild animals, the animals lose, unfortunately. We need to be more respectful and stop trying to take everything. The animals have a right to be here, too.