If you saw a large land mammal, weighing over 1,000 pounds with an unknown temperament, licking your car, your first instinct would probably be to push it away. By yourself. With your body. Turns out, this is the wrong type of behavior.
The Alberta government and parks service released an advisory earlier this week, warning visitors of the moose wandering the Chester Lake and Burstall Pass parking lot and trail areas. The moose pose a particular threat to cars because they have a tendency to lick the salt from the sides of the vehicles.
In bold and italicized font, so you know they really mean it, the advisory also notes that:
The recommended moose viewing distance is 30M. Sound a car horn or use your remote door alarm to deter moose to regain access into your vehicle. Do not attempt to push moose away from your vehicle while on foot.
Thank God for that! I was totally ready to swing a shovel at the moose—something that would really help establish my dominance over the thing.
Anyway, what do I need this knowledge for? I live in New York City. The biggest wildlife I encounter here is a pigeon.
via BBC