A wildlife photographer in Washington State captured a moose getting up close and personal with a few vehicles. Upon closer look, you can see the massive animal licking the salt off of multiple trucks.
In the video, the moose goes from truck to truck to find some salt. Inside the second vehicle, you can see a couple who can’t do anything but sit and wait.
“A unique moose car wash. Moose are attracted to the salt on cars and will lick it off when the opportunity presents itself,” explains Dené Miles in her Instagram post. “Although this practice is strongly discouraged, if the moose is already at your car licking it, all you can do is watch and wait.”
Miles is right about having to stay put. As you can see in the footage, moose are gigantic, and getting too close is a bad idea. The animal can easily grow to six feet tall and weigh 1,400 pounds.
In fact, the National Park Service says to give the animals plenty of space. You’ll want to stay at least 25 yards away, which is about 75 feet. Unlike other wildlife, you should run away if a moose charges you. According to wildlife officials, “They usually won’t chase you and if they do, they’re unlikely to chase you very far. If you can’t run, get behind something solid such a tree. If a moose knocks you down, curl up in a ball, protect your head with your arms and keep still. Fighting back will only convince the moose that you may still be a threat.”
