The hunter did not realize that his dog, who was trained to track moose, had led him into the Polar Park Arctic Wildlife Center when he fired at the animals

A Norwegian hunter tracking moose in the country’s wild north may at first have congratulated himself when he realized he had killed two of the majestic beasts with a single shot.

But he soon realized his success had little to do with marksmanship and more to do with fences: the animals, it turns out, were captives in a zoo.

On 7 October, the hunter – whose name has not yet been released by police – was with a group who had specially trained dogs to track the animals, according to CNN.

After one of the dogs caught the scent of the moose and went under the zoo’s fence, the hunter fired a shot. The bullet passed through one of the animals and was lodged in the other’s stomach. The first died immediately, the second had to be euthanized.

The Polar Park Arctic Wildlife Center in northern Norway originally had five moose, according to the Local, a Norwegian news site. Following the incident, the head of the hunting group approached Polar Park staff and explained what happened.

“I was surprised. I had my mouth open for a while,” Polar Park’s CEO, Heinz Strathmann, told CNN. “This has never happened before – and I don’t think it will happen ever again. It is a one of a kind.”

Strathmann told the Local that the incident was “very sad” and “not OK”. But Arne Nysted, chairman of the wildlife tribunal in Troms County, said that it was “a regrettable mistake made in connection with lawful hunting on the outside of the park”.

Hunting is popular but strictly regulated in Norway. Hunters must be over 16 years old and pass a proficiency test. The practice has been under increased scrutiny worldwide following the killing of Cecil, one of Africa’s most famous lions, by a Minnesota dentist.

The zoo has asked that the hunter cover the costs of acquiring two new moose, which cost $3,500 each, according to Strathmann. But they will not press charges. Superintendent Katrine Grimes told CNN that the man could still be prosecuted under Norway’s Wildlife Act, which regulates humane hunting.