New home at Yorkshire Wildlife Park and a happy new year in Doncaster to look forward to for rescued wallaby

The wallaby, which has been named Wilding by park rangers, was rehabilitated in a quiet area.

Wilding also had another wallaby with her for company while she spent two months recovering in the visitor attraction, in Branton.

She has now been introduced into the Wallaby Walkabout area at the park, where visitors walk through the reserve on a path as the animals come up to them as they please.

Doctor 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.

“Since settling into her new environment, however, she is now enjoying the space and the company of 29 other wallabies. She heads towards the public footpath where visitors walk to get a up close and personal look at the wallabies.

“Wilding now also 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 Wilding may have been living wild in countryside in Berkshire but had strayed onto open land when she was attacked in August.

Mobile phone footage shows her falling to the ground after she was shot near a children’s playground. She managed to limp away and was later taken into care by a wildlife veterinary service before Yorkshire Wildlife Park came to the rescue and offered her a permanent home.

Yorkshire Wildlife Park is open every day except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and features many other animals including the only polar bears in England, lions, tigers, giraffes, rhinos and many more.