‘Don’t let Moose lick your car’

Your vehicle may seem like a salty snack to local Canadian wildlife, but be quick if you see it licking.

So beware of road signs in the alpine city of Jasper, Canada, where salt-laden moose endangers themselves and drivers – while salty cars appear around them.

“Oh hi, Moose. We have strict instructions about your snack habits, ”a Twitter user wrote on the platform in a very straightforward and precise way. Viral tweet More than 46,000 likes have been added since posting this month.

“They’re salted, it’s one of the essential nutrients for minerals in their bodies,” said Steve Young, a spokesman for Jasper National Park. Told CNN.

Moose usually get their salt fixes from park ponds but have discovered that motor vehicles can provide similar sodium-rich fixes after driving on snow-melting roads.

“They usually get it from salt ponds in the park, but now they have realized that they can also get salt on the road that is released into the car,” Young said.

The problem is that moose and automobiles do not combine well, and are a mutual risk to each other. But in Jasper National Park in the province of Alberta, both are a common occurrence.

“Moose and cars are not a good combination. If you hit the moose with your car, you kick it in the foot and it goes through your windshield, ”Young said.

Young did not say park officials were also concerned about the “Christmas Story” situation, as the weak animal’s tongue got stuck in the parked car.

Jasper National Park visitors often park along the road to wait to see the moose, but officials are now encouraging guests not to come close even if the animals appear. Once the moose appears the minimum distance guide is straightforward: simply empty.

To complicate the issue, moose watching has only been on the rise recently.

“We’re seeing a lot more rats right now. The wolf population is declining, which means there are fewer predators and as a result the moose population is increasing, ”Young said. “It also means people need to be respected and given a place.”

This is not just a recommendation: visitors are found to be endangered or disturbed by wildlife , A fine of 25,000, Young added.