When one small town saw its livelihood drying up, it had a choice: find new ways to make money, or overcome its fears and enlist an unlikely ally.

Crocodiles.

About a decade ago, the small fishing community of Topón in southern Mexico noticed that the shrimp on which its economy depended were dying off.

The community suspected that climate change, increased deforestation and overfishing had pushed the ecosystem too far — a suspicion since confirmed by scientists.

© Flores

An artisanal fisherman from Topón. The community has experienced a dramatic drop in shrimp due to deforestation.

In the past, the community saw crocodiles as pests at best — threats, at worst.…