WATCH: Four moose take a licking to local's car - East Idaho News
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WATCH: Four moose take a licking to local’s car

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Bull moose taking a licking to Shawnae Somsen’s Subaru. Taken by Latham Jenkins | Courtesy Shawnae Somsen

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming — A local couple got a shock as four bull moose took a special interest in their car over the weekend.

Soda Springs residents Shawnae and Bryce Somsen were driving through Grand Teton National Park on Sunday hoping to spot a moose or two. That evening they spotted not one, but four moose off in the distance and stopped to take some photos and video from inside their car.

“We just hung out there and pretty soon the moose just kind of got closer and closer. As they were doing that they kept sparring back and forth,” Shawnae told EastIdahoNews.com. “Pretty soon we were like ‘I think these guys are going to cross right in front of us, that’s going to be cool,’ then they stopped.”

One by one the four moose wandered up to the car and started licking the road salt off of Shawnae and Bryce’s Subaru.

“They were probably (outside the vehicle) for probably half an hour,” Shawnae said.

Two of the moose even decided to spar right outside Shawnae’s window.

“I could have reached out and touched them right there sparring,” she said.

At one point Bryce stuck his hand out the window and one of the moose gave his fingers a lick. Eventually, the moose got bored with the car and moved along, allowing the couple to leave the area.

“It was amazing. Just absolutely amazing. As we were leaving I was just like OK that’s kind of a top ten of your life right there,” Shawnae said.

Grand Teton National Park officials remind visitors that moose viewing within the park is limited to 25 yards. Officials also discourage people from allowing wildlife to lick vehicles as it can can attract wildlife to roadways, creating a safety risk for humans and wildlife.

“If a moose approaches your vehicle while you are inside, carefully drive away and do not allow the animal to lick the vehicle. If you are outside the vehicle, use a remote entry device to sound the car horn or alarm to move the animal from the vehicle,” park spokeswoman Denise Germann said in an emailed statement.

Watch the full video here.

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