A crocodile in the kennel

[Bob Crowley]

The Northern Territory is the only state in Australia where you can legally keep a crocodile as a pet.

NT Australian election: Pet crocodile ban in the spotlight

The Northern Territory is one of the last places in the country crocodiles can be kept as pets.

www.bbc.com

They've just had a state election which the Labor Party lost. For the time being then Territorians can keep their crocs.

The cost of living, housing and crime are the prime concerns for many voters, but Mr Sullivan is one of scores left heartbroken after the governing Labor Party moved to ban crocodiles as pets.

It is one of the last places in the country the practice is allowed, but the government says they're concerned for the wellbeing of both humans and the reptiles. The Country Liberal Party opposition, however, has pledged its support for the practice and has promised a review of the “rushed” decision if elected.

For the time being the Territorians can keep their crocs.

Meanwhile here's an old Australian joke about a pet croc.

A multi-millionaire, living in Australia, decided to throw a party and invited all of his buddies and neighbors.

One of them was his closest neighbour, Brian, a little wiry bloke on the bottom of the social pecking order.

He held the party around the pool, in the backyard of his mansion. Everyone was having a good time, drinking, dancing, eating prawns and oysters from the barbecue, and flirting.

Then at the height of the party, the millionaire said, "I have a 15 foot man-eating crocodile in my pool, and I’ll give a million dollars and my daughter's hannd to anyone who’ll join him in the pool."

The words were barely out of his mouth when there was a loud splash.

Everyone turned around, and there was Brian in the pool fighting madly with the crocodile, jabbing it in the eyes with his thumbs, throwing punches, head butting it... getting it in choke holds, biting it’s tail and flipping it through the air like some kind of martial arts expert! The water was churning and splashing everywhere. Both Brian and the crocodile were screaming and raising hell. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Brian strangled the crocodile, and let it float to the top of the pool like a dead goldfish.

An exhausted Brian wearily climbed out of the pool, with everybody staring at him in disbelief.

The millionaire said, "Well Brian, I guess I owe you a million dollars and my daughter's hand in marriage!"

"Nah, you're right mate, I don't want your money and your daughter should be free to marry the man she wants."

So the millionaire said, "I have to give you something, you won the bet."

"How about half a million bucks?" "No thanks, I don’t want it," Brian insisted.

The millionaire said, "Come on, I insist on giving you something... " "That was amazing!"

"How about a new Porsche, a Rolex and some stock options?" Once again, Brian said, "No thanks."

Confused, the rich man asked, "Well Brian, then what do you want?"

Brian replied... "I want the mongrel who pushed me in!"