Steering clear of these formidable creatures is essential not only in the great outdoors but also behind the wheel. Particularly during winter, when roads are liberally salted for de-icing, moose have a penchant for venturing onto highways and busy roads in pursuit of the salty allure.
From CBC Canada:
McKay says Parks Canada puts out a warning every winter as moose venture down to highways to fuel their salt intake.
"Unfortunately, this kind of puts [moose] at risk of being injured or killed if they get hit by a vehicle," she said.
"Parks Canada understands that seeing those wildlife is a real highlight for a lot of people, but we ask people not to stop … so that the moose can't get used to licking salt off of the cars."
Roy Rea, an assistant professor at the University of Northern British Columbia, has been studying moose for 25 years, particularly why they come close to transportation corridors.
"It just turns out that one of those reasons [moose] are there is because of the road salt that is applied in the winter to de-ice roads," he said.
Rea says the large creatures search for salt in the winter because they need a lot of sodium to maintain their bodily functions.
