They have a large population, have a large range and can live up to 15-20 years. However, there are also some factors that could reduce their population. Temperatures are rising due to global warming which will reduce penguin breeding grounds and melt ice. Furthermore, overfishing is a danger. There is also a new disease called Infectious Bursalis Virus (IBDV) that can be found in chicks and is very contagious. However, even with all these factors, emperor penguins are said to be the penguin species least likely to become instinctive. Even though emperor penguins are not going extinct, there are many things humans do that are harmful. for penguins it is to kill them. Luckily, in 1959, a treaty called the Antarctic Treaty was published which stated that it was against the law for people to hunt emperor penguins and their eggs. However, this rule slowly became irrelevant and now many people don't listen to it and kill them anyway. Another thing that humans have done to hurt, not just penguins, but many other marine animals, is oil spills. Oil spills are usually caused when ships travel through the habitat of these animals. When penguins swim or groom themselves, they may accidentally swallow oil which can poison themselves and harm their health