Two crocodiles have been shot and their stomachs opened as the search continues for a missing boy who is feared dead after being taken by one of the creatures.
Police believe the boy was attacked by the reptile and taken away in a waterhole in the country's Northern Territory on Sunday.
He was swimming with friends in the Mudginberri Billabong in Kakadu National Park when they were attacked by the saltwater crocodile.
One of the boy's friends was bitten on the arm as he tried to fight the creature off.
Searches by air, land and boat continued into Monday morning around Magela Creek, which feeds the waterhole, but there has so far been no sign of the child.
Any crocodile longer than two metres (6.5ft) spotted in the Mudginberri Outstation can be shot.
The order was expanded from the original three metres after an examination of the bite marks on the boy's friend.
No human remains were found in the two crocodiles.
Sergeant Stephen Constable said earlier said there had not been a "croc attack around here for quite a long time".
He said: "But crocodiles are prevalent in these waters and you always have to be careful."
A spokesman for the park said the area was well signposted as a danger zone for crocodiles.
He said: "We have big croc warning signs with croc jaws and a big thing saying 'croc risk; do not swim here, do not enter'."
Saltwater crocodiles can grow to be up to seven metres and weigh more than a ton.
They are a common feature in the tropical north of Australia.
