Death of the king penguin: Scientists say 70% of the birds could WIPED OUT by the end of the century due to climate change

Experts used computer modelling to simulate shifts in the bird's habitats 

Melting ice will strip them of their breeding and feeding grounds experts say

Around 1.1 million breeding pairs will be forced to relocate or disappear

They may be 'nothing more than a memory' in a matter of decades, study warns

By Tim Collins For Mailonline

PUBLISHED: 16:00, 26 February 2018 | UPDATED: 17:03, 26 February 2018

King penguins could be wiped out in the near future by climate change and overfishing, new research has warned.

Melting ice will strip the birds of their breeding and feeding grounds, wiping out 70 per cent of the global population before the end of the century.

Only a decade ago the total king penguin population was over two million breeding pairs worldwide, but this has since dropped to 1.6 million.

Around 1.1 million of the remaining pairs will be forced to relocate or disappear if greenhouse gas emissions continue at present rates, experts say.  

King penguins could be wiped out in the near future by climate change and overfishing, new research has warned. Melting ice will the strip the birds of their breeding and feeding grounds, wiping out 70 per cent of the global population before the end of the century

An international team of researchers, including experts from the University of Ferrara in Italy and the University of Strasbourg in France, studied the King Penguin's habitat on the islands at the northern reaches of Antarctica.

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