Here Today

Spare a thought for the Yamo Mamo. While you've been devouring platefuls of turkey, the southern Venezuelan jungle rainforest tribe have had to contend with quite different yuletide fare. No brussel sprouts and mince pies for them. Instead the Yamo Mamo have been tucking into roast tarantula, live water beetle and freshly caught crocodile. And far from But whereas we ending up sick and bloated, and disgusting, the Yamo Mamo are positively thriving on their turkey-free diet. Or so says Martin MacDonald who has set up a video display of the tribe's, which shows them catching and preparing their and 'fast food' at Ripley's Believe It or Not Odditorium on Great Yarmouth seafront.

'The idea is to show that people in the jungles of South America don't have turkeys to eat at Christmas,' he explains. 'Necessity forces them to look elsewhere.' The footage, taken by 1930s explorer Robert Ripley, only lasts five minutes, but that should be sufficient to put most people off their dinner. food. for life. Raiding 'nature's supermarket', as MacDonald puts it, the Indians help themselves to tarantulas from earth burrows and scoop beetles into vine leaves. Grubworms have to be cooked thoroughly before serving in case they decide to eat the diner from within. 'The remains of the crocodile will be made into things like stews and casseroles - just the sort of thing we do with the turkey.'

The team at the Odditorium (which also boasts a jungle room with a real-life crashed plane) had hoped to carry out their own jungle cookery demonstration for television. Sadly, GMTV lost their appetite for it, so visitors have to make do with the video. In any case it has got to be a lot less stomach-churning than watching Noel's New Year House Party.

Ripley's, The Windmill, Marine Parade, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk (0493 332217), daily to 3 Jan, then weekends 10am-4pmends