New Arc Wildlife Rescue

19/10/2026

Earlier this morning, we were called to the A975 between Newburgh and the Collieston crossroads, where an adult roe buck had been found lying in the road after being struck by a vehicle.

The buck had sustained significant head injuries and multiple fractured legs. Sadly, the extent of his injuries meant that euthanasia was the only humane option to prevent further suffering.

What makes this incident particularly upsetting is that the deer had been left behind following the collision, suffering from severe injuries and posing a potential danger to other road users.

Thankfully, a kind member of the public came across the injured animal and took the time to stop safely and alert other road users to the danger.

If you hit a deer, please remember:
*Pull over somewhere safe, without putting yourself or other road users at risk.
*Contact your nearest wildlife rescue service for advice and assistance. If the deer poses a risk to other road users or it isn't safe to stop please call the Police.

Please don't leave an injured animal to suffer. Taking responsibility after a collision can make a real difference to animal welfare and road safety. A heartfelt thank you to the gentleman who stopped this morning and handled the situation in such a safe and sensible manner. Your actions were greatly appreciated.

18/10/2026

Nearly 250g later and with a perfect waterproofing score, these 2 guillemots were ready to face the north sea once more 😍

17/10/2026

And just like that, our 3 busy-season interns have fledged!

We have been incredibly lucky to have Audrey, Julia and Kira dedicate their spring and summer of 2026 to wildlife rescue and rehabilitation at New Arc Wildlife Rescue.

🦔 Audrey joined us from CREAVES de Namur in Belgium, bringing with her plenty of experience as a wildlife rehabilitator. She never shied away from an out-of-hours rescue, while also taking on a huge amount of the daily care that keeps the centre running.

🦊 Julia travelled from Sweden, bringing compassion, a unique sense of humour and an incredible work ethic. She was always ready to come in early, stay late and step up whenever the team or the animals needed her, especially the house martins!

🦉 Kira came to us from Orkney, bringing endless curiosity, an analytical mind, millions of good questions, and exceptional eye for detail, and a LOT of plant-knowledge.

Each of them brought something different to the team, and all three have made a valuable contribution to the care of the hundreds of wild animals that pass through our door this busy season.

Audrey, Julia and Kira, we wish you all the very best as you continue your careers in wildlife rehabilitation. Thank you for your hard work, dedication and everything you have given to New Arc Wildlife Rescue over the past few months. You have been a pleasure to have on the team, and we hope you'll take away some great memories (and perhaps a slightly unusual tolerance for cleaning!) from your time with us. ♥️

12/10/2026

Yesterday, we admitted an adult female mute swan who had been found grounded in a field beneath a set of power lines.

It is likely that she collided with the lines while taking off or landing on a nearby waterway, although we cannot be certain exactly what happened.

Thankfully, despite being a little sore, she appears to be doing well. She is now in safe hands with our team, where she can rest, recover and be monitored closely.

We are hopeful that she will only need a short stay with us before she can be returned to her home and the waterway she knows.

A big thank you to the member of the public who took the time to get her the help she needed! 🦢💚

11/10/2026

🎉 A HUGE thank you to everyone who joined us at our Quiz Night at the Kirk Centre in Ellon last night!

Thanks to the fantastic support of our participants, organizers, and volunteers, we raised an amazing £1,198 towards our new aviaries!

It was a fantastic evening filled with wonderful prizes, lots of laughter, and plenty of happy winners! 🏆

A very special thank you goes to our amazing volunteers, Judy and Ashley, for organizing the event (so… will there be a repeat? 😉). Huge thanks also to our quizmaster, Steve, who kept everyone entertained, amused, and occasionally just a little confused throughout the evening! 😂

And, of course, thank you to everyone who helped behind the scenes, came along to take part, donated prizes, or supported us in any way.

We couldn't have done it without you! ❤️

10/10/2026

The St Combs and Collieston guillemots are enjoying each other’s company while building up their fat reserves and maintaining their waterproof plumage.

When guillemots are found on beaches, they’re often reported to us as “penguin-looking seabirds”, and we think that’s a pretty fair description! However, despite their striking resemblance to penguins, guillemots aren’t part of the penguin family. They belong to the auk family, just like puffins.

But why are so many guillemots being found dead or struggling along our shores?
This phenomenon, often referred to as a seabird wreck, is something we observe every year around September and October. As the weather begins to turn, young guillemots face the challenges of independent life at sea, and some struggle to survive.

If you spot a guillemot on land, particularly one that appears weak or distressed, it may need help. Please contact your nearest wildlife rescue centre for advice on what to do next.

09/10/2026

07/10/2026

When a release leads to a rescue…

After three weeks in our care, the Fraserburgh beach guillemot had made a full recovery. He was admitted underweight and exhausted, but with some TLC, had regained a healthy body condition and was finally ready to return to the coast.

Our team headed to Collieston to release him back into the wild. But as they approached the waves, they nearly tripped over another juvenile guillemot that was clearly in need of help. One in, one out!

As we watched our fit and healthy patient head back out to sea, we secured the struggling youngster and brought him back to the rescue centre. He was found to be in much the same condition as our freshly released guillemot, underweight and exhausted.

Thankfully, the Collieston guillemot is doing well so far and is slowly regaining condition, although their feathers aren't quite waterproof just yet. Fingers crossed or a full recovery and, hopefully, another successful release back into the wild!

We are in need of High Energy Food for our baby pigeons ("pigeon peas"). If you can help please consider donating a bag through our Amazon Wishlist!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/33K67RTHLD8I7?ref_=wl_share

07/10/2026

We are calling on all of our supporters to sign and share this petition.

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to legislate for the prevention of intended releases of helium balloons and sky lanterns by passing a dedicated Helium Balloon and Sky Lantern Prohibition Act creating
The release of helium balloons and sky lanterns is an act of sending litter into the sky which can land anywhere.

There have been cases of farm animals and wildlife ingesting deflated helium balloons and suffocating to death, and fires started when the flames in lanterns do not go out before landing, as well as animals becoming tangled in the frames.

While 32 councils in Scotland have banned the release of helium balloons and sky lanterns from council land, there remains an issue of enforcement, release on private land, and authority to prevent planned releases, as was the case with several planned balloon releases announced in local newspapers. Despite a ban being in place in one area, the release went ahead.

There are laws regarding littering, and penalties for doing so. The same laws must apply to the release of helium balloons and sky lanterns and a ban implemented.

https://petitions.parliament.scot/petitions/PE2266?fbclid=IwdGRjcAUzB4tjbGNrBTMHW2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHBkb2YFc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEe2wL83EZuU5rkDxyt-J55x-SX1_1g4aTnD07MPzGaFbNHy92FXoqBqHz1MIg_aem_yjHW_DCvnX3YkCv7Ppx_7Q

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to legislate for the prevention of intended releases of helium balloons and sky lanterns by passing a dedicated Helium Balloon and Sky Lantern Prohibition Act creating regulations under existing environmental laws, or issuing statuto...

06/10/2026

We were called to the A948, just five minutes south of our rescue centre earlier this morning, by a kind member of the public who had found an adult roe doe badly injured in the road.

When we arrived, it was immediately evident that she was suffering from multiple fractures and severe injuries. Sadly, her injuries were so grave that the only humane option was emergency euthanasia to end her suffering.

What was particularly concerning was that the vehicle involved did not appear to have reported the collision to either ourselves or the police. There were pieces of the vehicle's bumper left at the scene, along with the injured deer in the carriageway.

This created a significant hazard for other road users during the busy morning commute, as well as meaning this deer was left suffering unnecessarily.

Please, if you hit a deer, or come across an injured deer at the roadside, don't just drive away.

📞 If the deer is alive and you can do so safely, contact us or your nearest wildlife rescue centre.

🚔 If the deer is in the carriageway or posing a danger to other road users, contact Police Scotland. They can arrange for the appropriate wildlife rescue service to attend, which in this region would be ourselves.

Even if you aren't sure what to do, make the call. A few minutes of your time could prevent prolonged suffering and could also help prevent another collision.

Thank you to the member of the public who stopped, recognised that help was needed and contacted us.