While some will get a puppy or kitten for Christmas, Territorians may soon be gifted a snappier pet after the government announced crocs can be household pets again.
People in the Northern Territory will be allowed to keep crocodiles as pets in 2025 after the government reversed Labor’s prohibition on ownership permits.
Just days before Christmas, NT Parks and Wildlife Minister Marie-Clare Boothby said the semiaquatic reptiles were a “key aspect of the Territory lifestyle”.
The government has committed to new standards for enclosures, tagging and animal welfare which will be proposed under legislation to be introduced in 2025.
“Crocodiles are synonymous with the Territory – that’s what makes our lifestyle so unique – and responsible owners have a right to own one with a permit,” Ms Boothby said.
“We are taking action to reverse this decision because opportunities like these are central to our Territory way of life.”
Since crocodiles were protected by law in the 1970s, experts say the population has grown to more than 100,000 in the Top End.
