Save the rhino maggot!

Everybody knows that the big critters, especially if they are cute, attract the conservation dollars (the so called charismatic megafauna). But why should this be so?

An interesting article, available online here, highlighted the unfortunate plight of the parasites of endangered species. From the endangered rhino maggot of the title to the lice that are specific to the Califonian condor, these species are not just overlooked but they are sometimes destroyed in our attempt to breed 'healthy' individuals in captive breeding programs.

For every animal facing extinction there is an entire world of other species living on and inside it that depend on them for survival, and may be equally endangered. Should conservationists be just as worried about the fate of these parasites as they are about the survival of their hosts?