An elusive monster crocodile, thought to be one of the biggest on record, has been captured in the Northern Territory after a decade-long game of hide-and-seek.

Measuring 4.7 metres and weighing in at up to 600 kilograms, the snappy saltie was trapped by rangers in Taylor’s Park, around 60 kilometres downstream from the Top End town of Katherine.

Authorities have been hunting the “big fella” for close to 10 years to no avail – until now.

Biggest ever Katherine croc capture https://t.co/yYgdbz8Fvd

— Katherine Times (@KatherineTimes) July 9, 2018

“We’ve called it a lot of things over the years because it’s been so hard to catch,” senior wildlife officer John Burke quipped.

“On record, this is the biggest saltwater crocodile removed from the Katherine management zone.”

The game of hide-and-seek came to an end when the legendary lizard unwittingly swam into a trapping operation, set around two weeks ago.

“We’ve found the big guys, because they’re so used to being the boss of their hole, they tend to work with us better than the little ones,” Mr Burke said.

“It is a bit of a thrill, but you’ve also got to admire the size of the animal and how old it is.

“You’ve got to have a bit of respect for it.”

NT Parks and wildlife have caught the biggest croc in Katherine to date. Rangers have been chasing the 4.71 m saltie for 10 years. pic.twitter.com/EfL3JIXhFr

— Roxanne Fitzgerald (@roxannefitzgrld) July 9, 2018

It is not the first time authorities have captured crocodiles in excess of four metres.

A 4.27-metre crocodile was hauled out of a creek in Darwin Harbour by wildlife rangers last month, while two salties – dubbed Gobbo and Croco – were dragged from a dam on Annaburroo Station in February.

-ABC