Keeping a snappy predator as a backyard pet in Australia's Northern Territory will be made easier under new guidelines on crocodile ownership that restore a right seen as part of a "unique Territory lifestyle".
But while the state government has scaled up plans to encourage ownership of crocs, reptile lovers in Victoria face a ban on keeping them as pets.
In the NT there were 63 people already licensed to keep 123 crocodiles, said NT Parks and Wildlife Minister Marie-Clare Boothby on Friday.
"It's proof our unique Territory lifestyle is alive and thriving."
The NT government is inviting Territorians to have their say on new safety and welfare guidelines to make owning a pet croc simpler and safer.
The proposed regulations in the Dangerous Animal Guideline - Crocodiles as Pets focused on animal welfare, biosecurity and public safety, Boothby said in a statement.
"We're backing responsible pet ownership by cutting red tape and making it easier than ever for Territorians to safely keep a pet croc."
Boothby said after the previous Labor government scrapped pet crocodile permits in 2024, the Country Liberal Party government made a commitment to restore that right.
The proposed regulations would strengthen guidelines already in place to own a pet crocodile.
The crocs will receive a unique identification marking, owners will be charged a $299 fee for a five-year permit and there will be a AU$100 (NZ$115)-an-hour recovery fee if departmental staff need to capture an escaped reptile.
Updated enclosure standards include a lockable door and an isolating section to reduce human-crocodile interaction during cleaning or vet checks.
In Victoria, the government is implementing new rules that ban anyone from acquiring a croc as a pet.
Anyone owning a crocodile will be able to keep them until their pets die.
Michael Donnelly, president of Animal Care Australia representing animal hobbyists, said there had been a lack of consultation on the ban.
He was unaware of any cases of people being attacked by crocs in Victoria or of croc owners being charged under animal cruelty laws.
"Why, suddenly, after decades of being able to keep crocodiles are we no longer able to keep crocodiles in Victoria," he told AAP.
"Pretty much our opinion and our view is that's because of the animal rights infiltration that is in Victoria."
Donnelly said his organisation supported keeping native animals as pets as long as the appropriate regulations and licensing systems were followed.
"In Victoria, we just go straight down the path of 'let's ban it' rather than deal with any issues."
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