Everyone loves penguins. Unfortunately, the African penguin is in danger of extinction, and scientists are having trouble figuring out why.

Along South Africa's west coast, the population of penguins has dropped dramatically since 2004. The population is down almost 90 percent, according to South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs. Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly why the penguin population is dropping, and how to stop it.

For some reason, anchovies and sardines, the penguins' main food sources, have moved south. Scientists think that either climate change or overfishing has contributed to the fish moving, but they aren't sure. Now, in order to eat, penguins have to swim further to reach the fish. This leaves adults tired and weakened. Many of them have died or abandoned their chicks. The chicks have to be raised in rehabilitation centers instead, which are quickly becoming crowded.

It's difficult to solve this problem as well. Relocating penguins is difficult, and there is no guarantee that it will help the population. Instead, the South African government began experimental bans on fishing around penguin populations in 2008. Penguin biologists believe that this is helping. They think that it leaves more fish for penguins, which makes it easier for the population to survive and thrive. However, the impact of the fishing bans is not yet clear.

The fishing industry is also beginning to get frustrated. Anchovies and sardines comprise the biggest part of South Africa's fishing industry. Fishing quotas in the area allow for only about 10 percent of the anchovy and sardine populations to be taken, and closing fishing areas could be hurting the local economy. Fisheries experts claim that the penguin population is not being hurt by fishing itself. Instead they blame predators like fur seals and sharks. They also claim that environmental factors like nest flooding or heat stress could be hurting penguin populations. Fisheries experts have conceded that large fishing vessels could be causing disturbances that hurt the penguins, but they maintain that fishing in and of itself is not hurting penguin populations.

The South African government has called for a panel of experts to review the experimental closings of fishing grounds and determine a way forward. They met for the first time last year and will meet again in December. While scientists study the impact of the closures on the penguin population, an economic study of the closures is determining their impact.

The African penguin is only found in Africa, but Animal Planet LIVE has a penguin cam in partnership with the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans. It films an exhibit that is home to both African penguins and Rockhopper penguins from South America.