ABOVE: Nelson the chimp is full of seasonal cheer after swigging back the Guinness

It was pure genius on the part of a vet to prescribe Guinness when Nelson the chimpanzee was under the weather back in the 1960s.

Now, at the grand old age of 40, Nelson is still enjoying a drop of the black stuff at Flamingo Land theme park and zoo at Kirby Misperton, near Pickering.

As the oldest resident, he deserves a little of what he fancies as Christmas approaches.

So the stout fellow was allowed to tuck into a specially-made Christmas cake and a festive bottle of Guinness yesterday.

A spokesman at the tourist attraction said: "He certainly enjoys his drink - and we don't believe he's thinking about its restorative powers."

Keepers at Flamingo Land, where Nelson has been a resident since 1961, discovered his liking for a tipple when he went down with a minor illness shortly after his arrival.

The zoo's vet at the time suggested that Nelson should drink a small tot of Guinness every day as a tonic to complement the drugs he was prescribed.

The vet felt that the yeast and Vitamin B in Dublin's best-known export would help get Nelson back on his feet - but made sure he did not drink enough to leave him legless.

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