INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
the death of the first polar bear born and bred in the tropical island city, put down by wildlife authorities after a five-year battle with
health difficulties stemming from old age.Inuka, a 27-year-old animal who grappled with challenges ranging from arthritis to dental problems
and ear infections, carried until his last days a green tinge in his fur blamed on algae growth."As much as we would like to keep Inuka with
us for as long as possible, our ultimate responsibility is his welfare," said Cheng Wen-Haur, an official of zoo operator Singapore Wildlife
suffering," Cheng said in a statement.Calls for Inuka to be allowed to live out his natural life grew after the zoo operator said this month
that the bear, whose age corresponded to 70 years in human terms, was sick."Please do let him pass on naturally," said Vanessa S
Wee, one of more than 100 social media users who commented on the zoo operator's Facebook page."He is the only tropical polar bear, a
true-blue Singaporean, a one-of-a-kind icon," added another, Anita Ryanto.Inuka, or "foreboding strength" in Inuit, was born on Boxing Day
in 1990 to parents Nanook and Sheba, who had arrived from Canada and Germany, respectively, in 1978.His father, Nanook, died in 1995 at 18
while Sheba died at the ripe old age of 35 in 2012
In the wild, the bears have an average life expectancy of 15 to 18 years.His name picked from among 390 suggested in a nationwide contest,
Inuka was three when he was chosen as one of the city's icons by its main broadsheet, the Straits Times, alongside the Singapore Sling
cocktail.But in 2004, when the fur on Inuka and his mother started turning green, questioning began over the ethics of keeping polar bears
in the tropics.The Singapore Zoo said the green tinge was algae growth
In 2004, the BBC said the bears were bleached with hydrogen peroxide.Animal rights groups have urged zoos not to keep polar bears, who
suffer from being denied the huge ranges they are accustomed to in their natural habitat."Add the additional challenge of a hot climate and
it becomes clear the animal's needs are being entirely disregarded in favour of the desire to exhibit," said Chris Draper, animal welfare
story has not been edited by TheIndianSubcontinent staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
