Reporter feared for her life as 'mystery animal' interrupted broadcast

Do you know the difference between a cougar and a dog?

That's the question viewers of the news report of KUTV News in Utah had to ask themselves when, during a live broadcast by Morgan Saxton, a strange animal walked into the frame and appeared as if it was stalking the woman. 

Morgan later described the moment as "terrifying", though in the moment she kept her cool and continued with the broadcast. Viewers were convinced that the animal was a cougar (also known as a mountain lion), especially given that there is a large population of the animals in Utah. 

The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources was called to the scene after the incident to investigate, looking specifically at the paw prints. They came to a conclusion that was much less dramatic than anyone expected: "...they were definitely dog tracks."

It turned out that the unexpected guest on Morgan's live broadcast was a 12-year-old Australian Shepherd/German Shepherd mix.

Morgan can't be blamed for the mistake: when it's dark outside and you're in a strange environment, any four-legged animal looks like a threat.

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