Would you like one lump with that sir … or a few million?

Willy the polar bear got a very n-ice treat today when two and a half tons of ice cubes were dropped into his enclosure at North Carolina Zoo.

After the icy surprise was delivered by tipper truck, Willy happily spent the afternoon chilling out and playing with his special treat.

The cubes, some of which were covered in tasty maple syrup, were designed as an enrichment tool to get Willy excited, and they certainly seemed to work.

The 24-year-old bear, who weighs a staggering 800lbs or 57 stone, was pictured happily rolling around on the frozen heap, licking the syrup covered cubes and eating other frozen treats, including an apple.

The ice cubes, which helped make Willy's enclosure feel more like the Arctic that the U.S, were donated to the zoo by a local ice company.

Photographer Valerie Abbott, 51, captured Willy's icy excitement while watching him for two and a half hours.

She said: "Willy was anxious to get out and play in the new ice. He rolled around, dug into the ice, laid on his back and would root in it with his nose.

"When the keeper threw him the apple at first he didn't notice but his strong sense of smell eventually led him to it.

"I was incredibly lucky to get a picture of Willy sticking his tongue out so far as he licked the ice."

The zoo used the event to launch a fundraising appeal to raise money to expand the polar bear enclosure.

Willy was one of six polar bears rescued from a Mexican circus in 2002.

MUST CREDIT PHOTOS BY: Valerie Abbott / Solent News / Rex Features