Christmas dinners for the animals at Wildwood

As we all rush around trying to find a Christmas Turkey and plan the most important meal of the year, the keepers at Wildwood have been creating their own recipes to give the animals in the park a special treat. Feeding time is like stepping into the kitchen of a London restaurant with stacks of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat being prepared to the highest standards.

Pomegranates, bananas, oranges and clementines are just a few of the healthy options that greet the smaller mammals and birds this Christmas, ‘It gives them something to work on,’ said Christine, one of Wildwood’s keepers, ‘especially the pomegranates where they have to think about how they are going to get at the seeds.’ But there are a few treats in store as well, as the occasional doughnut can be seen inside the Fallow Deer Paddock.

Though Wildwood buys in a much of the food it uses for the animals it also receives donations of out of date food from a supermarket.

‘We are lucky that Sainsburys is very generous to us with their donations of out of date food’ commented Martyn Nicholls, Head of Press and Marketing in the park. ‘In these difficult times they have really made a difference to our animals.’

Wildwood is only closed on Christmas and Boxing day and will be open over the rest of the Christmas holiday so why not walk off your Christmas dinner around the park?

Wildwood's 'Wildlife Conservation Park' is an ideal day out for all the family where you can come 'nose to nose' with British wildlife. Wildwood offers its members and visitors a truly inspirational way to learn about the natural history of Britain by actually seeing the wildlife that once lived here, like the wolf, beaver, red squirrel, wild boar and many more.

Wildwood is situated close to Canterbury, just off the A291 between Herne Bay and Canterbury. 01227 712111, www.wildwoodtrust.org.

Christmas food facts

Eating mince pies at Christmas dates back to 16th century Britain, where it is still believed that to eat a mince pie on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas will bring 12 happy months in the year to follow.

At lavish Christmas feasts in the Middle Ages, swans and peacocks were sometimes served for dinner.

A traditional Christmas dinner in early England was the head of a pig prepared with mustard.

The Christmas turkey first appeared on English tables in the 16th century, but didn't immediately replace the traditional fare of goose, beef or boar's head in the rich households.

In Victorian England, turkeys were popular for Christmas dinners. Some of the birds were raised in Norfolk, and taken to market in London. To get them to London, the turkeys were supplied with boots made of sacking or leather. The turkeys were then walked to market. The boots protected their feet from the frozen mud of the road. Boots were not used for geese: instead, their feet were protected with a covering of tar.

During the Christmas season, over 1.76 billion candy canes will be produced. Candy canes started out as straight white sticks of sugar candy used to decorate Christmas trees. A choirmaster at Cologne Cathedral decided have the ends bent to depict a shepherd's crook and he would pass them out to the children to keep them quiet during the services. It wasn't until about the 20th century that candy canes acquired their red stripes and if you turn it upside down, it becomes the letter J symbolizing the first letter in Jesus' name.

In Armenia, the traditional Christmas Eve meal consists of fried fish, lettuce, and spinach. The meal is traditionally eaten after the Christmas Eve service, in commemoration of the supper eaten by Mary on the evening before Christ's birth.

In the Ukraine, they bake a traditional Christmas bread called "kolach". This bread is braided into a ring, and three such rings are placed one on top of the other, with a candle in the centre of the top one. The three rings symbolize the Holy Trinity. They also set the table for Christmas Eve dinner with two tablecloths: one for the ancestors of the family, the other for the living members as in pagan times, ancestors were believed to be benevolent spirits who, when shown respect, brought good fortune.

The Ukrainians also prepare a traditional twelve-course meal at Christmas time. A family's youngest child watches through the window for the evening star to appear, a signal that the feast can begin.