Some people argue that too much attention and too many resources are given to the protection of wild animals and birds. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

As governments and charities devote increasing attention to biodiversity, some people question whether protecting wild animals and birds consumes resources that could be used for urgent human needs. I partly disagree with this criticism because wildlife conservation is often essential to long-term human welfare, although spending should be evidence-based and not driven by sentiment alone.