The freshwater crocodile was taken from a property in Wollongong.

It is now at the Shoalhaven Zoo.

Zoo owner Nick Schilko said the one-metre long croc was in good condition.

“In NSW you can’t keep a crocodile in your yard, however you can in Victoria,” he said.

“We won’t be keeping this croc long-term. We’ve got enough crocodiles and this one is a bit of a chainsaw.”

The owner of the crocodile and the home owner will face court in August charged with possessing controlled and protected fauna. 

Meanwhile mining ecologists are being trained to handle wildlife to help relocate them from mining sites.

The program developed by Illawarra company Risk Response and Rescue uses zoologists from Shoalhaven Zoo and trainers from Snake and Spider Safety Awareness for Employees to provide animal handling training.

Ecologists who work for mining companies are called spotter-catchers.

They stand by during land clearing and look out for any issues with wildlife.