An elusive monster crocodile — that evaded wildlife authorities for nearly a decade — was finally captured, officials announced on Tuesday.

Wildlife officials were searching for the 60-year-old, 15-foot-long reptile since it was first spotted in the northern outback in 2010 because the giant maneater posed a risk to humans and had locals fearing for their lives.

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

The lengthy game of hide-and-seek finally came to an end when the 1,322-pound predator unwittingly swam into an elaborate trap set up in the Katherine River.

A picture of the massive croc showed it with its jaw tapped down and its body tightly bound to a grate with ropes.

While the average saltwater crocodile is 17-feet-long, captures of this size are rare, wildlife authorities told CNN.

“It’s a bit of a thrill, but you’ve also got to admire the size of the animal and how old it is,” Burke said. “You’ve got to have a bit of respect for it.”

Generally, crocodiles live an average of 70-years, though a rare few exceed 100.

The ancient beast was taken to a crocodile farm — essentially a preserve that tourists can visit — in Katherine, Northern Territory wildlife operations chief Tracey Duldig said.

Wildlife rangers in the Northern Territory capture about 250 “problem crocodiles” each year — but this is the biggest one they’ve ever caught, Duldig said.

Saltwater crocodiles, referred to as salties, are a common fixture of north Australia and kill an average of two people a year.