An enigmatic penguin species has been thrust into the international spotlight after being featured in the latest season of a Sir David Attenborough docu-series.
Tawaki (Fiordland crested penguin) were featured in season two of the Netflix series Our Planet after a 2014 research paper on the little known species attracted the attention of the show’s producers.
Tawaki Project co-leader Dr Thomas Mattern, of Dunedin, who co-authored the paper, said the researchers had a good deal of involvement with the production, including providing recommendations for where to film and what to expect while filming.
"Everything you see on the screen there, these are all sites that we had scouted out in the years prior to the film during the Tawaki Project, because there aren’t many sites where you can readily film them."
The paper was titled "Marathon Penguins", which Dr Mattern said tied into the first episode of the new season, which was themed On The Move, and followed the migrations of several animals.
He said that whenever the penguins were not breeding, they were travelling vast distances to the polar regions — which formed the basis of the show’s segment.
Dr Mattern said seeing the penguins being used in series promotional posters in London was a thrilling experience.
"From Fiordland into the big city, they made it. That's just really neat."
