Inuka, The First Polar Bear Born In Singapore, Will Have His Body Preserved For Educational Purposes On Monday (25 Jun), it was belatedly announced that Inuka, the Singaporean polar bear, will have his skeletal remains preserved. The Singapore-born polar bear was put down on humane grounds, two months ago on 25 Apr due to his deteriorating health. Reason being, his welfare had been seriously compromised due to irreversible age-related ailments. At the ripe old age of 27-years-old, Inuka’s health conditions had been declining, after he surpassed the average life expectancy of most polar bears. Before we get into why his body will be useful for scientists, here’s what Inuka was suffering from in the latter part of his life. The bear’s long term suffering Source Inuka had been suffering from a host of age-related conditions including: Arthritis Occasional ear infections Dental issues Age-related muscle atrophy Stiffer gait in hind limbs Ulcerations on paw pads Medical examinations revealed that the open wounds on his abdomen and paws took longer than expected to recover. The deep wounds have constantly brought pain and discomfort to the polar bear. This is not to say Inuka wasn’t cared for properly. Wild polar bears only have […]
6 years ago
