Easter Islanders seek outside help to cure statues' 'leprosy'

EASTER ISLAND, Chile - In just 100 years, the emblematic stone sculptures that guard the coastline of Easter Island could be little more than simple rectangular blocks, conservation experts are warning.

The giant heads, carved centuries ago by the island's inhabitants, represent the living ancestors of Easter Island's Polynesian people, the Rapa Nui, and have earned UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Dozens of giant moai statues dominate the hillsides surrounding the island's Rano Raraku wetland, but they are facing the threat of what locals describe as a kind of leprosy: white spots appearing on the iconic facades.