Man catches 'African' cat in dipnet:it is a savannah cat

The animal was at first thought to be a serval, a wild, medium-sized African cat that is illegal in Alaska. Turns out it is a savannah cat, a mix of a serval and a domestic cat that is legal, said wildlife biologist Rick Sinnott.

The cat, whose name is Simon, had actually been missing since last spring from its owners' home in the Kincaid Park area, Sinnott said.

In the time since, it has sporadically popped up around town, causing double-takes and looks of disbelief from Point Woronzof to Fort Richardson on the Glenn Highway.

The animal was finally pinned down at a man's home between the Glenn and Russian Jack Springs Park, Sinnott said today. Using a dipnet, the man scooped up the year-old animal and brought it to Fish and Game.

"As far as I can tell, that's a legal animal, so I gave it back to her with a warning not to let it go again," Sinnott said.

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