Were I a part of the system, yes, I would. But I am not, and there were cases (I remember two) when the protected species was declared extinct from a reserve, and the habitat irreversibly changed (into a wood logging site and into a building site, respectively). Without the species (Galanthus sp. in the one case, 3 orchids + 2 willows in the other) the ecosystem is still valuable, but much harder to defend.

So... A species becomes popular - is recognized as becoming rarer - is protected by law (since the Red Data Book has more to do wth law than with science) - is gradually exterminated or left only in unconnected populations - is proclaimed a conservation target - and then winks out, one population at a time, and the places where they used to be are seen as 'lost' and so much less valuable, conservation-wise.