Two teenage boys have been charged after allegedly breaking into Perth Zoo on Sunday night and striking a four-metre saltwater crocodile with a metal pole.

Police say the pair entered the South Perth zoo about 7.15pm, cut the locks on the crocodile exhibit, forced their way into a secure back-of-house management area and then climbed the purpose-built perimeter fencing to get into the habitat of Dangalabba — an estuarine crocodile estimated to be around 45 years old, 4.2 metres long and weighing about 400 kilograms.

Officers allege the boys were captured on CCTV hitting the crocodile with a metal pole, before removing the cameras from the wall.

The incident was discovered on Monday morning when animal care staff arrived for work. Two boys, aged 16 and 17, were arrested later that day at separate addresses in Baldivis and Belmont.

The charges

Each boy has been charged with two counts of criminal damage or destruction of property, one count of trespass and one count of animal cruelty.

Both appeared in Perth Children's Court on Tuesday, where the magistrate described the charges as serious and unusual. One was granted bail and is due back in court on 6 October. The other was remanded in custody ahead of a bail hearing on 18 September.

Under section 19 of Western Australia's Animal Welfare Act 2002, animal cruelty carries a maximum penalty of a $50,000 fine and five years' imprisonment. Charges against children are dealt with under the youth justice system, where sentencing operates differently to the adult courts.

How Dangalabba is

The zoo says the crocodile suffered minor, superficial injuries and is recovering well under veterinary monitoring.

Perth Zoo told members in an email on Tuesday that the offenders had entered areas specifically designed to keep the animals in its care safe.

"Animal welfare underpins everything we do at Perth Zoo, and we are deeply disappointed by this incident." — Perth Zoo spokesperson

Police Minister Reece Whitby said the teenagers were fortunate the night had not ended far worse.

"They are very lucky that they haven't been severely injured or have lost their life. This could have been an absolute tragedy." — Police Minister Reece Whitby

Who Dangalabba is

Dangalabba is not a zoo-bred animal. He was removed from Darwin Harbour by wildlife authorities because he was considered a risk to public safety, spent years at a crocodile farm near Broome, and arrived at Perth Zoo in 2019 as the centrepiece of its reptile collection.

His name means "crocodile" in the language of the Larrakia people, the traditional owners of the country around Darwin where he was hatched.

Saltwater crocodiles are the largest living reptiles on earth, and a 400-kilogram adult male has one of the most powerful bites ever measured in the animal kingdom. The barriers the boys allegedly climbed are the only thing that stood between them and an animal that was relocated in the first place precisely because it was considered dangerous to humans.

What happens now

Perth Zoo is a State Government agency, and its security arrangements are likely to come under review. The zoo has told members its animal care and veterinary teams are continuing to monitor Dangalabba closely.

The matter returns to Perth Children's Court on 18 September.

Photo: Bernard DUPONT via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). This is a file photograph of a saltwater crocodile and is not Dangalabba. Zoo entrance photo: Shinjiman via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).