WHEN Father Christmas visited Port Lympne Wild Animal Park his sleigh was not laden with presents for the children but food for the gorillas.

He landed on the roof of the Palace of the Apes to feed the colony of western lowland gorillas then made his way to the gardens for a private Christmas feast with his favourite female gorilla, Emmie.

Emmie is a fully-grown, hand-reared, western lowland gorilla. She is 10 years old and originally from France.

She came to Port Lympne's sister park, Howletts, as a three-year-old where she joined Djala the silverback and the rest of her new family.

In July 2000 Emmie and her family group moved to the Palace of the Apes, one of the largest gorillariums in the world.

Emmie is just one of a thousand animals available to sponsor at Howletts and Port Lympne. All proceeds raised from animal sponsorship go directly towards the upkeep of the parks' animals both here and abroad.

Howletts hope to send seven orphaned gorillas to its protected reserve in the Gabon, as part of its international gorilla rescue project.

You can next see Father Christmas in his grotto at Howletts and Port Lympne every Saturday and Sunday until Christmas.

Special Santa animal feeding times have been arranged, including the feeding of the miniature Anoa Buffalo at 1pm throughout the Christmas weekends.

There will also be keeper talks, Christmas treasure hunts, Christmas lunch, mulled wine and mince pies.

At Port Lympne the safari Christmas Sleigh will be running daily.

Both parks are open daily from 10am. Last admission is at 3pm. Both parks close at dusk and are closed Christmas Day.

For further details call 09068 800 605 or visit www.howletts.net.