Anchorage Daily News

The large cat that's been popping up around Anchorage in recent weeks has been captured alive by a man using a dipnet, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

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.

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call him at 257-4589.

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