Suspected wolf pack in Colorado turns out to be escaped St. Bernards

April 28 (UPI) -- Authorities in Colorado said a suspected pack of wolves caught on camera in unclear footage this week turned out to be five St. Bernard dogs who had escaped from their owner's home.

The Park County Sheriff's Office said it opened an investigation alongside Colorado Parks and Wildlife when a video was shown to authorities depicting a group of four-legged animals running near an elk herd on April 25.

"The video was shot from a very long distance away and the lighting and shadows made it difficult to determine what type of large, four-legged animals were running near an elk herd," the sheriff's office said in a news release.

The investigation ended when authorities discovered the suspected wolves in the video were actually five St. Bernard dogs who had escaped from their owner in the area.

The sheriff's office said the dogs "have a documented history of escaping their enclosure in the area."

The owner of the canines is being "cited by Park County Animal Control for permitting a dog to run at large," the sheriff's office said.