Researchers are compiling data on the reasons for the decline and trying to reverse it. The New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society has sponsored a penguin study for 16 years. About three out of four penguin chicks do not live to the fledging stage, Clark said. Fresh out of the nest, they are easy prey for foxes, armadillos and gulls. Even if they make it out of the nest and enter the sea, most young penguins starve to death during their first year.
Some conservationists blame overfishing by trawler fleets in the areas where penguins feed.
Another serious threat cited by conservationists is pollution from oil tankers, which repeatedly kills thousands of penguins along Argentina's coast. While the law protects the penguins from being hunted by man, only international conservation measures can prevent them from being wiped out by other human activity, some experts say. Correspondent Gary Strieker contributed to this report. Pages will open in a new browser window External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive. All Rights Reserved.