An elderly polar bear may be put down by a zoo in Singapore after its health deteriorated markedly, the zoo operator said Thursday.
Inuka is the first polar bear to be born in the tropics and has reached the grand old age of 27 – well into his 70s in human years.
A recent medical check found that the health of Inuka, who has been receiving treatment for arthritis for some time, had declined markedly over the past weeks.
Grand old age: Inuka the polar bear is 27 years old – well into his 70s in human years – and zoo officials in Singapore are now reporting that his health is in serious decline
The bear’s activity levels have fallen over the past three months and he now prefers resting over interacting with his keepers, a statement from Wildlife Reserves Singapore said.
Inuka was born at Wildlife Reserves Singapore, which describes him as their ‘most prominent senior resident’.
At 27, he has already lived two years longer than the average polar bear – both in the wild and in captivity.
The polar bear has long been been popular with visitors due to his playful antics in his pool enclosure.
Born in the heat: Inuka has lived his whole life at Wildlife Reserves Singapore
Old boy: Singapore Zoo describes Inuka as its ‘most prominent senior resident’
But he has now cut back on swimming, his walking is stiffer, and he is less interested in his daily playing sessions involving traffic cones, balls and ice blocks embedded with his favourite food, the zoo said.
Veterinarians have ramped up the bear’s daily care regimen and are administering medication, and a second health check will take place in late April.
‘If results indicate that Inuka’s welfare is not improving with these intensive treatments, his care team may have to make the very difficult decision not to allow him to recover from anaesthesia on humane and welfare grounds,’ said the statement.
Inuka’s annual birthday celebration is one of the high points for visitors in the zoo’s calendar, and last year he celebrated with a special jelly and salmon cake.