GETTING the family’s likes and dislikes right is a challenge for any cook at Christmas – so just imagine having 7,000 round for dinner.

But that is exactly what Chester Zoo’s Dr Andrea Fidgett has to do.

However, as the resident nutritionist, she does have has some expert knowledge to help her along.

Dr Fidgett has spent nine years compiling a recipe book for all the zoo’s guests, from stick insects to Sumatran tigers and corals to Asian elephants.

And the results could have a far reaching benefit for the lives of animals living in captivity.

Learning about nutrition in zoo animals is still a relatively new science, and the project is the first time such findings have been compiled for a UK zoo.

It is sometimes impossible to provide what the animal would eat in the wild, so research needs to be done on each of the 400 species the zoo houses, and the diet tailored to each individual.

Dr Fidgett said: “Every animal has had a personalised diet designed for them – accounting for everything from their personal tastes, to how active they are, to their age and health.

“So it’s a huge book – containing lots of information, such as the ingredients, quantities, nutritional values and where it comes from as well as how the recipe should be prepared and presented – and it’s growing all the time. By looking closely at the nutrition of our animals and getting it as good as we possibly can, means the animals are more likely to be healthy, happy and relaxed, and therefore, much more likely to breed.”

And Dr Fidgett believes animals should not have to eat the same food every day.

She said: “That would be boring for them, too.

“So, for example, giraffes must eat a high-fibre diet like hay, but sometimes tasty willow and poplar branches makes their mealtime much more interesting – and it’s good for their teeth.”