>To me, it's clearly the hard work of conservationists and activists

Not just to you, but everyone including Smithsonian, it's unlikely anyone believes in prophecies literally. However those prophecies are part of animistic traditional beliefs, and if you have a little bit of good faith you can see how respect for biodiversity, nature and animal life ties into the good fortune of traditional tribes who often have a closer and more direct relationship with wildlife and intact ecosystems.

You don't need to be superstitious to understand why animals and the natural world have a privileged place in the beliefs and history of native peoples.