Attraction of wild ungulates to mineral‐rich springs in central Canada

Abstract

Natural mineral‐rich springs which attract moose Alces alces and white‐tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus were studied in a small area in central Canada. The spring water was particularly rich in Na and Cl but also contained levels of K, Ca, Mg, HCO 3 and Mn higher than nearby stream water. In a selection experiment near a natural spring, aqueous solutions of NaCl, NaHCO 3 and Na 2 SO 4 were consumed consistently by the animals while salts of K, Ca and Mg were not. Isotope analysis indicates that the spring waters are part of a modern and probably localized flow system. Evaporite minerals and extensive fractures in the local sedimentary bedrock appear to account for the salt content of the spring waters.