A 1.5 metre saltie pulled from a Mindil Beach Casino croc trap

Cheeky crocs have been spotted out and about in the Top End, including one caught near the casino and another snapped at a beach.

A 1.5M saltie was caught lurking 150m away from a popular Darwin venue on Saturday.

The saltwater croc was pulled from a crocodile trap next to the Mindil Beach Casino Resort, located between two highly frequented footbridges near the busy beach.

Parks and Wildlife ranger Jaylen Marshall said although it was “relatively small” the sneaky reptile could still do some “pretty severe damage”.

“I would definitely be able to say it could take a little dog,” Mr Marshall said.

“I really don’t like little kids being around crocs like that.”

Due to recent croc sightings, Parks and Wildlife rangers installed the temporary trap at the location a “few weeks ago”.

NT Parks and Wildlife officer Jaylen Marshall holding a saltie trapped near Mindil Beach Casino. Picture: Julianne Osborne.

Mr Marshall has been a ranger since February last year, and said it was the first time he had caught a croc from the Mindil Beach Casino Resort trap.

“We weren’t fully expecting to get something straight away but it is good to get something in the first couple of weeks because it does give us the indication they’re trying to sneak up there,” he said.

Snarling and hissing, Mr Marshall said, the mischievous croc “wasn’t happy about being caught”.

“Everything went pretty smooth, once I got the tape on (around his mouth), everything was pretty easy,” he said.

“We’re going to leave the trap in for a while to be sure.”

On the same day just a few kilometres away, Yarrawonga local Andi Wilson spotted a sunbathing croc on the beach near the Nightcliff swimming pool carpark area.

Ms Wilson said she had to use the zoom on her camera to confirm what she was seeing. “I then saw the guy paddleboarding and I thought it would be a great shot to get that in too,” Ms Wilson said.

A saltie washed up along the Nightcliff shores on Saturday. Picture: Andi Wilson.

“I was a little bit surprised, because you know there’s crocs about but you just don’t see them on the beach that often.”

Adelaide River Croc Cruises tour operator Sean Dealy estimated the croc Ms Wilson spotted was about 2.8 metres long.

Ms Wilson said the man on the paddleboard was “pretty far out to sea” and was oblivious to the remorseless reptile soaking in the UV rays.

“I don’t swim in the ocean at all,” she said.

Originally published as A 1.5 metre saltie pulled from a Mindil Beach Casino croc trap