SINGAPORE – The Singapore Zoo bade farewell to Inuka, the Republic’s last polar bear, which was put to sleep on Wednesday (April 25) for “humane reasons”.

Born on Dec 26, 1990, Inuka was the first polar bear born in the tropics, and the last polar bear Singapore would have.

Its mother Sheba and father Nanook, first arrived in Singapore Zoo in 1978, after which the attraction’s first polar bear exhibit opened.

All of 250g when it was born, the cub made its first public appearance in 1991, when it was three months old.

It's name, which means ‘silent stalker’ in Inuit language, was selected out of over 10,000 entries in a naming contest held in 1991.

Since 1991, the male bear’s birthday bash on Boxing Day became an annual highlight to the Zoo’s calendar of events.

Its father, Nanook, died at age 18, just three days after Inuka turned five, on Dec 29, 1995. And 17 years later, its mother, Sheba, died at age 35 on Nov 15, 2012.

A year later, on May 29, 2013, Inuka moved into its new home in the Frozen Tundra exhibit, featuring a larger exhibit with a climate-controlled ice cave and expanded pool.

Interestingly, the polar bear preferred to stay in the outdoor area instead of the ice cave.

According to its keepers, Inuka was an “inquisitive soul”. It would pick up the slightest noise or foreign smell in the climate-controlled den from its pool, and it would plod over to investigate.

Known to be quite cheeky, it would play tricks on its keepers, such as putting its toothbrush out of their reach and moving it further every time they wanted to retrieve it. It would wait until its keepers were not watching before spitting out his medication.

The bear, which loved salmon, was known to be fussy with its food occasionally and would pick out only its favourite food among some not-so-favoured ones.

On hot days, when it did not wish to swim despite its keepers’ encouragement, it would tap its left forepaw to indicate to them to throw its food down to it on the cliff, and not the water.

Up till recently, where it preferred to rest more due to increasing discomfort from its age-related ailments, Inuka enjoyed its daily interaction sessions with keepers and visitors.

The water-loving bear loved taking dips in its pool, and could often be seen enjoying a hydro massage under the waterfall.

At times, it would invent its own enrichment games by stacking tyres or lining them up in a straight line. 

With the life expectancy of male polar bears in the wild averaging between 15 and 18 years, Inuka was placed on the Zoo’s senior animal care programme after its 23rd birthday in 2013.

Health checks had showed the onset of age-related conditions like arthritis and dental issues. Inuka was started on glucosamine and anti-inflammatory treatment for its arthritis.

In 2015, it marked his 25th birthday with the launch of the Zoo’s Arctic Future photo exhibition, and it received birthday treats every day over 10 days from Dec 16.

Last year, due to its age, an agar-agar dessert cake replaced its customary ice cake, to make it easier on its teeth.

On April 3, this year, it underwent a health examination, which revealed that its health was declining markedly. Shortly after, the Zoo announced that if its condition failed to improve after a second health check three weeks later, the polar bear would be put to sleep.

On Wednesday (April 25), the 524kg bear, which stood 3.2m tall, was put to sleep at 9.30am.

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