It was with a heavy heart that Singapore’s last polar bear, Inuka, was put to sleep early this morning. His health had been declining for months now, and visitors flocked to the Singapore Zoo to extend their well wishes over the past two weeks after news broke about the 27-year-old animal’s worsening condition.
After Inuka’s second medical examination concluded that his health had not improved in spite of the intensive treatments he underwent at the hands of his vets and keepers, the “difficult but necessary decision” was made not to revive him from anaesthesia “on humane grounds”, the Singapore Zoo said in a press conference today.
Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, deputy CEO and Chief Life Sciences Officer of Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), explained to Channel NewsAsia that any further treatment would have caused him increased stress and prolonged his suffering.
“As much as we would like to keep Inuka with us for as long as possible, our ultimate responsibility is his welfare. Beyond a point where we can ensure a good quality of life for Inuka, the greater kindness would be to relieve him of his suffering,” TODAY quoted him as saying.
“Today’s medical examination revealed that the open wounds on his paws and abdomen had not significantly improved despite additional treatment over the last three weeks. These wounds, which were quite deep, would have caused pain and discomfort to Inuka, and would only be aggravated as his arthritis worsened,” WRS revealed in a statement.
“The vets had hoped that the treatment instituted since the last checkup would have resulted in more improvement, and as it was not the case, it was clear that Inuka’s health and welfare state was compromised and the responsible course of action was not to prolong Inuka’s suffering,” it added.
TODAY reported that Inuka’s Frozen Tundra enclosure will be revamped over the next few months to house sea lions. As for Inuka, a private memorial service will be organized tomorrow, and an autopsy will be conducted to understand his condition. The zoo also said it could possibly keep part of the body for “future education purpose”. If you recall, the zoo stated in 2006 it would no longer be bringing in polar bears to Singapore.
As we bid farewell to Inuka, let’s remember him for all the joy he brought to us whenever we visited the wildlife park. Born in the Singapore Zoo in 1990, Inuka was the first polar bear to be born in the tropics, and he lived way beyond the average life expectancy of 15 to 18 years for those in the wild and 25 years for those in captivity.
Farewell, Inuka. May you always live on in our hearts.
