Video: This is What You Call a “Canadian Car Wash”

If you live near moose, then you already know they can be ornery creatures. They’re big, intimidating, and always ready to pick a fight. But in winter, you may occasionally see the large animals lumber into town with a strange purpose in mind.

Moose apparently really like licking cars. This isn’t out of some altruistic sensibility or anything, it’s just because moose like salt. The rock salt accumulated on the wheels and sides of vehicles during winter is an excellent source of salt for these animals—though we’re not sure if the chemicals inside are actually good for them. This is why moose will sometimes congregate in the parking lots of parks or rural communities and treat it like an all-you-can-lick salt buffet. The colloquial term for this is a “Canadian car wash,” since Canada has a large moose population.

It’s probably a good idea to let them finish before approaching the vehicle. On the plus side, you also get a car wash, free of charge—as long as you don’t mind your car smelling like moose spit.

And another example:

Why get one when you can have two:

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