SYDNEY, August 3, 2008 (AFP) - Australia has banned imports of an exotic breed of cat, calling it an extreme risk to the country's native wildlife, a minister said Sunday.

So-called 'Savannah' cats are a cross between domestic cats and an African wildcat known as the serval. They tend to be spotted with slightly larger ears than other cats and have become popular with some cat-lovers.

But environmentalists fear they retain the strong hunting instincts of their African ancestors and could interbreed with millions of feral cats already in Australia, which have wrought havoc on the country's indigenous wildlife.

'The risks associated with allowing this cross-bred cat into the country, when we already have up to 12 million feral cats wreaking havoc on native fauna, are simply too great,' Environment Minister Peter Garrett said.

'That is why I have banned the import of these cats immediately.'

He said the Savannah cat posed 'an extreme threat to Australia?s native wildlife'.