Inuka the polar bear was born on December 26, 1990 and was one of the main attractions at the Singapore Zoo. He lived 27 years, equivalent to 70 human years. He was the first of his kind born in a tropical country and as absurd as it may seem today, he was a source of pride for the zoo.
In the 90s it was not so clear how sad the life could be of a polar bear that never knew not only freedom, but also cold. Or it was, but no one seemed to care as long as they had a great ride in the park.
Its natural habitat should have been polar, but it was born in Singapore, a country where the temperature reaches 31°C.
Despite living his entire captivity in a temperature-controlled space, the climate represented a problem for his well-being throughout his life, although Inuka’s cause of death was different. The specialists concluded that her state of health was rapidly deteriorating, added to severe arthritis caused by her age. Finally, he was euthanized.
Inuka was the son of a bear captured in Canada named Nanook and Sheeba the bear, from the German zoo. He never knew freedom.
Thus ends an era for the Singapore Zoo, Inuka was the main attraction, and there will be no other polar bear to replace him. Truly, that’s good news, because no other animal deserves to live such a sad life.
Many have accused the Singapore Zoo of animal cruelty, keeping a living being out of its natural environment for financial reasons. But the zoo is still open.
We hope that facts like this create some awareness around the world: it is necessary to stop visiting zoos and amusement parks where animals live in captivity for purely financial reasons; It is unfair that for this reason some never know freedom.