The Irish Government has confirmed it will investigate allegations that two red stags have been shot and killed by an American hunter in Ireland.
The death of the animals in Co. Kerry has been labelled an 'abuse of national heritage' by an Irish deer association who wrote an open letter to the Government condemning the alleged act.
A native of Co. Kerry for 6,000 years, the Red Deer are a protected species and may only be hunted with a licence from the National Parks and Wild Life Service (NPWS).
There is an open season for other deer species, generally September 1 to February 28 - but there is no hunting season for the Red Deer in Kerry.
Speaking to The Irish Post, Damien Hannigan from the Wild Deer Association of Ireland (WDAI) said the alleged incident had come to light through Operation Bambi, a collective operation by An Garda Síochána, the Wild Deer Association and the National Parks and Wildlife Service targeting suspected deer poaching in Ireland.
The WDAI allege that a license was sold to an American tourist for €10,000 to shoot two red stags in October this year.
The allegation is that the licence was obtained from a landholder by a commercial company that provides tour shooting and then indirectly sold onto an American tourist who unknowingly committed an offence in killing a very rare and protected deer.
While tour shooting is a legitimate and legal business in Ireland - and takes people hunting, fishing and shooting in a controlled manner bringing a significant amount of revenue into Ireland - a wild deer cull can only be performed under a license and by a authorised hunter from the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Licenses cannot be sold and are not transferable.
In the case of Red Deer, there must be proven damage to crops before a permit can be issued for their cull, and even then the culling of two deer is permitted per license.
Mr Hannigan added: "The issue here is a blatant abuse of our heritage, it's against best practices of conservation of a very important species of deer. There's been considerable outrage over this, from both the public and the hunting community.
"Hunters understand the importance of conservation and in terms of respecting a protected species. People are appalled over this abuse of a national species in this manner for financial gain."
The WDAI said it had notified the NPWS and the Department for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, asking for the license of the landowner to be recalled.
A spokesman for the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs confirmed an investigation is underway.
"The NPWS is investigating reports that a US hunter bought a permit to shoot red deer," a government spokesperson said.
"NPWS officials have been in touch with the Wild Deer Association, and we intend to meet with a representative from the Wild Deer Association to discuss the matter and gather more information, if possible."
See More: Featured, Killarney, Red Deer
