Environmental monitoring has revealed one of Australia's largest crocodile farms is consistently irrigating with water containing levels of E. coli almost 500 times the national guidelines.

Experts have warned there is a risk the contaminated water could spread beyond the property's boundaries, through either leaching into groundwater or being consumed by animals.

The Lambells Lagoon Crocodile Farm in Darwin's rural area was bought for $7.25 million in 2020 with the aim of farming up to 50,000 crocodiles — a number almost half the estimated wild population of saltwater crocodiles in the Northern Territory .

The reptiles are farmed for their skins, which are used to make luxury handbags worth up to tens of thousands of dollars.

The NT property is owned and operated by PRI Farming, a

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