Much as I’m sure your heart is in the right place, blind faith in some sort of magical ecological karma is insipid.

It’s true that nature would reach an equilibrium on its own if left undisturbed. The issue is that this normally occurs over long periods of time, where a species’ phenotype either adapts or dies off. When a new species is introduced by people, native species – unaccustomed to the poisons or predations of the newcomer – often die out before there is time to adapt. Take, for example, the effects of early Man’s swift spread (by evolutionary standards) across the globe. There have been many cases of native species, unadapted to hunting humans, dying out before having a chance to evolve new behaviours or defenses.

And while “only a few” crocs can breed, a narrowing of species’ gene pool can often have cataclysmic effects. A reduction in genetic diversity could, for example, affect crocodiles’ ability to resist new diseases.