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A giant red stag, thought to have been the biggest wild land animal in the UK, has been found shot dead. The creature, named the Exmoor Emperor, weighed more than 135kg (300lb) and stood nearly 2.75m (9ft) tall. He was killed in the middle of the annual rut. The stag's body was found close to the Tiverton to Barnstaple road in Devon. A licensed hunter rather than poacher is thought to have killed Emperor. Some deer experts say wild red stags should be protected during the mating season. Red deer stags are the biggest indigenous land animal left in the UK. The Exmoor Emperor, who was given his nickname by photographer Richard Austin, was believed to have been the largest wild land animal in the country.

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