A doughnut a day is helping to keep the doctor away for a orangutan at Dudley Zoo.

When Jerong, a 12-year-old orangutan refused to take medicine prescribed to treat a chest infection, his keeper had the brainwave of hiding it in a tasty cake.

Primate keeper David Zebedee said: “It has worked a treat. It turns out that Jerong loves doughnuts, and the sweet taste hides the medicine that we mix in.

“We would not normally feed him cake, but our vet has assured us it is perfectly safe in such small quantities, and anything that means Jerong is taking his medicine is a good thing as we want to get him well again.”

Senior curator Derek Grove said: “Jerong didn’t like the taste. We tried mixing it up with his regular food, including bananas, but orangutans are renowned for their intelligence and as soon as he tasted the medicine he would not eat it.”

Jerong transferred to the attraction in Castle Hill from Dublin Zoo three years ago as part of a major conservation programme for the highly-endangered species and is one of four orangutans at the zoo.

Orangutans’s diets normally consist mainly of fruit. Last year the orangutan house was given a £80,000 revamp including replacing the roof of the 1950s building as well internal improvements. As part of the work individual dens were created for the animals featuring ropes, rocks and a climbing frame.

Bosses said that top of visitors’ requests is a wish to get closer to the animals so two viewing areas have been created with only a pane of glass separating the public from the apes.

The project was funded by a £75,000 legacy from long-term zoo supporters the late Margaret and Alan Leafe from Sheffield, plus a further donation from the Zoo’s Development Trust.

The project was designed and led by senior curator Derek Grove, and all contractors and materials were local.

Orangutans are known as the great apes of Asia and are a highly endangered species due to destruction of tropical rainforests.