Why is it that many outspoken advocates for evolution also back efforts to protect species from extinction?

There’s obviously plenty of evidence to support evolution, which is essentially survival of the fittest. If a species is on it’s way to extinction, isn’t that because they’re not the fittest? Isn’t it what is meant to be?

Who are we to step in and try and prevent it? It seems like somewhat of a contradiction.

If things are naturally evolving as we weed out the, I guess, lesser species – the ones unable to adapt, why is it up to humans to step in and tinker with it?

Since we’re not close to extinction, yet, how are we deciding what kinds of concessions to make to keep these species around?

In choosing which animals to save and which to let go, we’re leaving the fate of a species up to a power greater than even evolution… marketing.