Woman kept huge pet CROCODILE in her brit ack garden for nearly SIXTY YEARS

os inherited the female crocodile, named Albert, when her father died in 1992, and describes her as 'low maintenance'

The salt water crocodile lives in Helen Haritos's back garden (file picture)

Having a fearsome crocodile lurking at the bottom of your garden would be enough to strike terror into most people.



But for one woman, the aquatic reptile living in a pond in her Darwin home is actually one of the family.
Helen Haritos inherited the female crocodile, named Albert, when her father died in 1992.
The animal has been living in the garden since 1958 when her father George caught her in the wild and decided to keep her.
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Helen feeds the fully grown reptile, which measures four metres long and is more than capable of killing an adult, on a diet
She told ABC Australia : "She lets us know when she's hungry.
"It's not quite like my dog but I do have a particular bond and care for the animal.
"It's quite easy actually (to look after) I'd say low maintenance, but treat with respect because they are very dangerous animals."

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Crocodiles are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of people a year (file picture)

Albert joined the Haritos when Helen was five when someone asked her crocodile hunter father for a reptile at a party.
She says her father caught Albert in the Mary River but when it came time to hand the crocodile over the person had sobered up and no longer wanted it.
After an argument, her mother let her father keep it.



The saltwater crocodile is now about 70 years old and has a permit to live in the back garden.