Wallaby ‘left for dead’ by thugs settles into life at Doncaster's Yorkshire Wildlife Park

The wallaby, later named Wildling, has bounced back from the terrifying ordeal in August when she was wounded near Windsor Castle in Berkshire, where she lived in the wild.

Mobile phone footage of the sick incident showed her tumbling after being hit by lead shots from catapults.

A voice can be heard saying "kill it" in the shocking footage of the attack, which left her fighting for her life.

She managed to limp away from the yobs and was looked after by a wildlife veterinary service, who gave her a 50-50 chance of survival.

She has been nursed back to full health, and has a safe home at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, near Doncaster, where staff named her Wildling after the Game of Thrones TV characters due to her battling spirit.

Wildling was rehabilitated in a quiet area with another wallaby for company for a couple of months, and has recovered well.

She has now been introduced into the Wallaby Walkabout at the park where visitors walk through the reserve on a path as the animals come and go as they please.

Dr Matt Hartley, head of animals at the wildlife park, said: "The name Wilding was given to her as much like the Free Folk in the TV series ‘Game of Thrones’ as she is quite a fighter.

"When she arrived, she was very cautious of her new environment and of the other wallabies. Her behaviour was rather like a young child’s first few days at school.

"But since settling into her new environment she is enjoying the space and the company of 29 other wallabies.

"She now heads towards the public footpath where visitors walk to get a up close and personal look at the wallabies.

"Wilding now happily plays and eats with the other wallabies too and is starting to find her place within the wallaby group.

“It was a such a terrible, cruel incident but thankfully she survived and we were glad that we could step in and help.

"She is now enjoying life in new surroundings where she will be guaranteed love and security, so it is a happy ending and it is great to see her back to full health. “

Experts believe the wallaby may have been living wild in countryside in Berkshire but had strayed onto open land where it was attacked in August.

Bennett’s Wallabies live in wild colonies in several areas of the UK.

They are believed to have escaped from private collections at stately homes in the 19th Century.

These wallabies are hardy animals, living in the wild on the mountains of Tasmania, so they adapt easily to life in the wild in the UK.