It is thought that money can change fortune of anyone that is why most people thought that betterment of human population should be prioritize over the safety of forest animals. I partially support to this issue and will elaborate my reasoning in the following paragraphs, discussing both sides before concluding with a balanced opinion.
On one hand, protection of wild animal is mandatory because they are basic necessity of food chain and any disturbance in this chain will collapse our ecosystem. For example, rat is eaten by cat which is later on caught by a snake. The snake then become prey of a dear which is the food of lion. If any of the animal is dropped out of this food chain, it will affect the other specie and the whole chain will eventually die resulting in effecting our earth ecosystem. Moreover, people are fond to see these animals by protecting these we can boost our economy. For example, Safari parks in America is the best source of income by providing people luxury to watch wild species. The income generated from this tourism benefits the government.
On the other hand, money should be spent to support people who are suffering from poverty. India, For instance, the third world country in Asia spent money to help people below poverty line. Government spent its money to feed humanity who is suffering from hunger. Another point is that, spending money on the lower middle class who is suffering from environmental disasters like floods can also bring a significant impact on population. For example, in 2019 one of my friend relative lost his home in the flood, and all of our friends circle collected money for his home and rebuild it. This shows how our money can affect the lives of mankind.
In conclusion, no doubt both the points has its own pros, and I think we should spend money on both the sectors so that both of them can be benefitted from our money.