Canada's parks warn drivers against stopping on roads to allow moose to lick their cars this winter.

Tracy McKay, from Parks Canada, explained that this unusual recommendation comes amid reports that moose come down to roads to lick road salt and salt stuck on the sides of passing vehicles.

McKay said her department issues such a warning every winter when moose risk venturing onto roads in search of licking salt.

She also added that unfortunately, this exposes the moose to the risk of injury or death if hit by a car.

Roy Rea, a professor at the University of Northern British Columbia, has been studying moose for 25 years and specifically seeks to understand why they approach roads.

He said it turned out that one reason for the moose's presence is the salt that is placed in winter to remove ice from roads.

Rea also said that these large mammals seek to feed on salt during winter because they need a lot of sodium to maintain bodily functions.

He explained that in summer there are many plants, and those plants contain many minerals, while in winter they usually cannot access that.

Rea said they have to go anywhere they can find salt, and one of the most suitable places for them is across the street to lick the car, adding that cars have become a tempting delight because of the accumulated salt waste on the sides due to traffic in winter.

Also, although Rea says he has not personally experienced this situation before, many of his friends in Northern British Columbia have witnessed it.

Since December and January are the darkest and often the coldest months of Canadian winter, Rea recommended drivers exercise more caution when driving on highways.

He said: "You have this large moose with dark black and brown color, standing on a black asphalt road against a black background, and you only see it too late."