A group of hunters in Norway have shot dead two elk - before realising seconds later they were firing through a fence into the animal's enclosure in a zoo.

The hunters themselves rang the zoo to inform them of what had happened, explaining that their elk hounds had managed to get inside the elks enclosure, and then given chase, preventing the hunters from realising that they were shooting into a zoo.  

Arne Nysted, chairman of the wildlife tribunal in Troms County, said that there was no need to punish the men.  

“This is a regrettable mistake made in connection with lawful hunting on the outside of the park,” he said. “It was a fatal error, but everyone understands that it was not done at all on purpose.”  

Katrine Grimnes from the police in the nearby town of Målselv said police would not comment on the shootings until the hunter had been properly interviewed. Early European explorers in North America-or so the myth goes-, who were familiar with the smaller red deer of Europe, thought that the large North American animal resembled an elk, and consequently gave it the name which is the common European name for the animal most "Americans"unfamiliar with the ENGLISH language mistakenly call a moose.

 The word elk is related to the Latin alces, Old Norse elgr, Scandinavian elg/älg and German Elch, all of which refer to the animal known in only in North America as a mouse moose.

The name wapiti is from the Shawnee and Cree word waapiti, meaning "white rump. This name is used in particular for the Asian subspecies (Altai wapiti, Tian Shan wapiti, Manchurian wapiti and Alashan wapiti), because in Eurasia the name elk continues to be used for the other annimal

READ MORE: The Wapiti (Cervus canadensis) is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, in the world, and one of the largest land mammals in North America and eastern Asia. This animal should not be confused with the larger Elk (Alces alces), found in the British Isles, Scandinavian countries, and Eurasia. Apart from the Elk, the only other member of the deer family to rival the Wapiti in size is the south Asian sambar

How elk antlers make men horny. Whoops, not suitable to post on Facebook, you will have to check with a Chinese pharmaceutical website.

Bears: There are many different types of bear.

The type of bear found on the Norwegian mainland is called the brown bear. Today, there are not many brown bears left in Norway’s forests. The brown bear can grow up to 125 cm tall at the shoulder and can weigh up to 350 kg. They primarily live off berries and plants, but they can sometimes eat sheep. Bears hibernate all winter. Their lairs= hollowed out underground holes or caves. They sleep here until spring arrives.

Deer:

Deer can be found in the forests and at the edges of forests over almost all of Norway. In the summer their fur is red, grey or brown, while their winter fur is darker and greyer. Deer are herbivores and grow up to 125 cm tall at the shoulder. The males have splendid antlers. The royal stag is reckoned to be one of the most beautiful animals in the forest.

Hares:

There are around 100 subspecies of hare in the world. The hare that lives in Norway grows to around 60 cm in length. Hares have large upper front teeth, long powerful legs, short tails and long ears. Their fur changes colour with the seasons and is greyish brown in the summer and white in the winter. Hares can be found throughout the country and flourish in forests, open countryside and the mountains. Hares are herbivores.

 Foxes:

There are 20 different subspecies of fox in the world. The most common in Norway is the red fox. Foxes live in forests. They live in lairs. A lair is an underground hole. Foxes grow to about 75 cm long. They also have long, splendid tails that grow to 50 cm in length. Their fur is mostly reddish brown, but is white on their belly and at the tip of their tail. Foxes are omnivorous predators. They eat mice, hares, birds and fish. They also eat wild berries.

Lynx: Lynx look like large domestic cats and have characteristic black tufts on their ears.

Their fur is light brown with dark spots and the tip of their tail is black. Lynx live in forested areas throughout the country up to Troms in the north. They are usually around 1 m long. Lynx are predators. They eat birds, hares and small rodents, but can also eat domestic cats, dogs, and sheep.

Reindeer:

Most of the reindeer in Norway are domesticated animals, but wild reindeer can be found on Svalbard and in mountainous regions in the south (Hardangervidda, Dovre and Rondane). Reindeer are members of the deer family. Norwegian reindeer do not grow that big. An adult reindeer is usually between 107 cm and 127 cm tall at the shoulder. Both males and females have antlers. Reindeer are herbivores.

Roe deer: Previously roe deer could only be found in the forests and meadows of Eastern Norway, but they have now spread over almost the entire country. Roe deer belong to the deer family. The males have antlers. An adult roe deer is between 64 and 89 cm tall at the shoulder and only weighs between 17 and 23 kg. Roe deer are herbivores.

Squirrels: Squirrels can be found throughout the country, but are most common in areas with spruce and pine tree forests.

Squirrels are easily recognised by their large, bushy tails. Their fur is reddish brown in the summer and more of a greyish white in the winter. Squirrels live off nuts and seeds, though they can also eat chicks and bird eggs. A fully-grown squirrel weighs around 1 kg.

Wolves: Wolves belong to the dog family. They are speckled grey with a white belly. Wolves are threatened by extinction and now there are only a few individuals in the country.

Wolves mostly live and hunt in packs of 6-8 animals. They live in forested areas, primarily in the regions bordering Sweden.~~Al (Alex-Alexander) D Girvan.