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Beating the Odds

Southern New Zealand Dotterels are threatened by introduced predators- Feral Cats that raid their nests and Deer that eat up their eggs. 

Now with only 167 birds left in the wild, a team of rangers are working on the remote wilds of Stewart Island to protect these rare shorebirds. 

  • Karthic SS
    Director
  • Karthic SS
    Writer
  • Karthic SS
    Producer
  • Kev Carter
    Key Cast
  • Mike Douglass
    Key Cast
  • Adam Ingram
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Wildlife Conservation, Bird conservation, Critically Endangered Birds, Wildlife, Documentary, Short Documentary
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 15 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    June 5, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    New Zealand
  • Country of Filming:
    New Zealand
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Karthic SS

I'm a Wildlife & Conservation Filmmaker, Photographer and Sound Recordist, telling stories using three mediums. The Science & Natural History Filmmaking course  at Otago University helped me acquire basic training and an eye for good stories.

My graduation film ‘Sniper’ follows a conservation dog protecting Yellow-eyed Penguins in New Zealand has won an award and done well in festivals globally.My vision is to craft compelling true stories on nature, science and society. I try to tell stories that have a potential to bring positive change and strike a chord with people.Films aside, I love to cook, run long distances and have a soft spot for the dwindling Indian Vultures. 
 
I'm based in Dunedin in the South Island of New Zealand, the land of four seasons in one day.

Website : karthicss.com
email : karthiskool@gmail.com

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Across the globe, animals and birds have been threatened with extinction like never before. And there are people amongst us, the dedicated and the brave, trying to protect these species for our future generations.

And on the edge of the world, New Zealand is no exception. The film is a never told before story of an almost unknown bird species.

Only 167 Southern New Zealand Dotterels are left in the world. They are threatened by feral cats raiding their nests, and deer eating up their eggs. They are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, the last little step before extinction in the wild.

But a team of rangers are beating the odds in the remote harsh wilderness of Stewart Island to protect these birds from extinction.

With this film, I hope to raise awareness of a conservation project of a rare little bird species in NZ and to amplify the message that with hope and hard work it’s possible to save wildlife that’s on the brink of extinction.