Inuka was a male polar bear and one of the mascots of the Singapore Zoo.
14 Facts About Inuka
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Inuka was born in the Singapore Zoo in 1990, the result of an extensive breeding programme run by the zoo and was the first and only polar bear to be born in the tropics.
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The cub was named Inuka, chosen from amongst 390 names suggested in a nationwide naming contest.
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Inuka had been suffering from chronic heart disease and lung disease.
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Inuka had been under treatment since September 2012 for loss of strength in her hind limbs, but her condition worsened and was put down after a close evaluation showed that her prognosis was poor.
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In 2001, Inuka was named by the Singapore Zoo as a possible replacement for the ageing orangutan Ah Meng as the zoo's mascot, among other candidates like elephant Sang Raja and orangutan Hong Bao.
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Inuka has been adopted by the SPH Foundation, which is the charity arm of Singapore Press Holdings, since birth.
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In 2006, it was revealed that the Singapore Zoo had contacted Polar Bear International Studbook keepers based in Rostock Zoo in Germany to have Inuka included in the list of bears available for transfer as part of an "animal exchange programme", such that Inuka would be moved to a zoo in Europe when his mother passes on.
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In May 2007, the Singapore Zoo announced that Inuka will stay at the zoo even after Sheba dies, contrary to the earlier decision to send him to a temperate-country zoo when that happens.
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The Singapore Zoo said the bears were kept in good conditions citing that Inuka was born in the tropics.
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In 2018, WRS announced that Inuka was less active than usual.
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Inuka underwent a health examination on 3 April 2018 and the results revealed that his health was declining.
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Inuka's keepers reported that Inuka's activity levels had dipped noticeably and he preferred resting over the daily keeper interactions he used to enjoy.
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The results showed Inuka was not improving despite extensive treatment.