An elk runs in a field during a frosty autumn morning near the village of Astanovka, north of Minsk, in the remote corner of Belarus, October 16, 2015. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko

It’s a story that gives new and rather tragic poignancy to the expression “like shooting fish in a barrel.”

But that’s exactly what it was like for a group of hunters in northern Norway who gleefully shot dead two elk, only to discover moments later that they had been firing at animals inside of a zoo.

The elk were residents of Polar Park Zoo in Troms County, Norway. It’s a large zoo spread over 114 acres that displays animals in their natural habitat. Up until the shooting, there had been five elk roaming the park grounds.

The park’s chief executive, Heinz Strathmann, was not impressed, reportsTheLocal.no. “I reacted with disbelief, and the first few seconds afterwards were pretty unreal,” Strathmann told The Local. “I think this is very sad, and it’s not OK. We had five elks, now we have only three.”

It appears the hunters themselves were also horrified when they realized their mistake, because they immediately reported the shootings to the park. Their hunting dogs, they said, had gotten inside the enclosure, leading to confusion and the accidental shooting of the animals through the fence.

The county’s wildlife tribunal is not interested in punishing the hunter responsible, but Polar Park intends to seek compensation, and is already searching for new elk to replace those that were killed. The local police are also investigating the shooting, but will not comment until they have spoken with the hunter himself.

As for the hunter’s identity, it has not been released, and judging from the nature of the story, we’re guessing he’d like to keep it under wraps.