Sniper

Is Sniper the weapon of last resort to save the world's rarest penguins?

In New Zealand’s South Island, Yellow-eyed Penguin numbers have dwindled over the years. Though the Wildlife Hospital in Dunedin provides medical care to the sick birds, finding an injured penguin in the bush is tricky.

But former ranger Leith Thomson has a way. Sniper. She is one of the 80 certified Conservation Dogs in New Zealand. And the only dog trained to sniff out Yellow-eyed Penguins.

Now every penguin counts… and Sniper is on an adventure to protect the critically endangered birds.

  • Karthic SS
    Director
  • Karthic SS
    Writer
  • Leith Thomson
    Key Cast
  • Sniper
    Key Cast
  • Ellen Rykers
    Key Cast
  • Angelina Martelli
    Key Cast
  • Neil Harraway
    Narrated By
  • The Centre for Science Communication University of Otago
    Produced with Support from
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    November 6, 2018
  • Country of Origin:
    New Zealand
  • Country of Filming:
    New Zealand
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Karthic SS

Karthic is a former automobile engineer by qualification. He quit his job in a global automotive firm to pursue his interest of being in the natural world and a documentary filmmaker. He aspires to tell stories that are seldom told and do it with passion and all love for storytelling.

In order to learn the ropes of factual filmmaking he pursued and completed postgraduate studies in Science & Natural History Filmmaking at the Centre for Science Communication in University of Otago, New Zealand.

Films aside, he is a birdwatcher and has volunteered for conservation of critically endangered vultures. He loves running marathons for the joy of it.

Karthic hails from Coimbatore, India and currently lives in Dunedin, New Zealand.

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