A wildlife-loving couple who have worked in animal rehabilitation across the globe will soon be taking over as the new managers of the New Arc rescue centre near Ellon.
Ever since they founded the New Arc facility in 2006, owners Keith and Pauline Marley have worked tirelessly to be available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help save all kinds of sick and injured creatures that come into their care.
But now, after 16 years of dedication, Keith and Pauline are ready to take a step back, and have selected their successors after a lot of careful consideration.
Paul Reynolds, 34, and his partner Morgane Ristic, 24, will soon be travelling from their current rescue centre in Hampshire up to New Arc north of Ellon to become the north-east facility’s new managers.
Keith said he’s got “every confidence in them”, and he’s convinced he and Pauline have chosen “the right people, with the right qualities, standards and moral philosophies” for the extremely demanding job of running the huge rescue centre.
From protecting parrots and in Costa Rica to saving squirrels in Strichen, meet the new New Arc managers
Paul and Morgane first met when Paul was working at primate sanctuary in Cornwall, and the pair soon started dating.
Ever since then, they have worked in animal rehabilitation facilities across the globe, but say they’re excited to make New Arc their “forever project” and Aberdeenshire their permanent home.
Paul said: “Within a few months of us starting to date, we suddenly got an opportunity in Ethiopia to work at a rescue centre and manage it.
“It was a big leap for us, and obviously a big test for a new relationship, but we did it and it worked out really well.”
After their stint in Ethiopia, the couple found a wildlife project in Costa Rica that required two managers.
Paul explained that in the world of animal rescue centres, people in relationships are highly sought-after.
He said: “When you can get a couple to manage a wildlife centre it works really well because it’s such a huge life and time commitment.
“You really need to devote every waking hour to it.
“So if you can get a couple, then they haven’t normally got any distractions, and can give the workload the time that’s needed.”
Why globe-trotters Paul and Morgane decided to head back to Britain
Paul, who grew up in Birmingham, and Morgane, who grew up in Brittany, France, said they learned a great deal about wildlife rescue on their adventures working in Costa Rica and Ethiopia.
But eventually, they decided that the UK would be where they wanted to settle down.
After leaving Costa Rica, they started a job at a rescue centre in Glasgow, before moving to their current job at a facility called Hart Wildlife Rescue in Hampshire.
“It’s all well and good running off abroad to work with exotic wildlife”, said Paul, “But Scottish and English wildlife is in such a poor state.
“We realised that it should be our life’s work, and that’s why we’re still here.”
New manager’s plans for the future of New Arc
Paul and Morgane said they’re really excited to move to the north-east of Scotland.
“Scotland has always felt like home, I can’t describe it but it’s always felt like where I want to be,” said Paul.
“Coming up to the north-east — or, what I refer to as proper Scotland — will be great, we both just can’t wait to get up there.”
Together, the pair have a lot of experience in growing rescue centres and expanding their services, and they hope to use that experience to benefit New Arc.
Paul continued: “To give you an example, when we moved to this rescue centre in Hampshire, they were taking in about 1,000 animals a year.
“Within our first year we’ve grown — not necessarily intentionally — but we’ve grown that number threefold, and now they’re taking in 3,500 to 4,000 animals a year.
“So we’re very experienced with increasing the volume of animals we’re able to rescue, and we’ve got a wide array of experience with different species as well.”
Looking further into the future, Paul said he wants to further the “educational aspect” of New Arc, by making it a place where “rehabilitators and professionals from our sector, as well as the veterinary sector, can come and carry out placements, do work with us, and learn about good practice.”
Keith and Pauline say ‘we think we’ve earned a bit of a rest’
Keith said that in the 16 years since he and Pauline founded New Arc, the couple have had a grand total of five days off, and now think they’ve “earned a bit of a rest”.
“So we’re hoping to get two or three days off a year at least from now on,” he joked.
Paul and Morgane will be buying and moving into Keith and Pauline’s existing home at the New Arc site, and the founders will be moving into another home on the property.
They plan to keep working at the rescue centre they’ve dedicated so much of their lives to, but in a slightly reduced capacity.
Keith said: “We’ll be in and around for a couple of years, not looking over their shoulders, but being on hand to assist whenever they want us to assist.”
He added: “I’m really looking forward to the future, I think they’ve got a lot to offer.
“They’ve got the knowledge, the experience, the enthusiasm, and youth on their side.
“And they’ve got some great ideas to expand the work we do, so it’s really some exciting times”.
Read more stories of Aberdeenshire wildlife rescue:
- The Aberdeenshire woman building a bothy for poorly bats
- Chris Packham backs Aberdeenshire pair’s £50 wildlife rescue kit
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