Born in 1990 at Singapore Zoo, Inuka is the first polar bear to be born in the tropics. For 27 years, it was one of the iconic mascots for our Zoo. However, in the recent months, the polar bear’s health had been deteriorating due to old age. It was broadcasted that it will be put to sleep if his health condition worsens.
On 13 April, the children read articles about Inuka and related the story of the aging polar bear to humans. They described that as people age, they will eventually grow old and weak. After reading the newspaper article, the Kindergarten 1 and 2 children decided to show their compassion by creating a well wishes card for Inuka.
A teacher representative passed the cards to the zookeepers and they were grateful for the hand-written cards! The cards have since made an appearance on The Straits Times article about the polar bear.
Update: Inuka has been put to sleep on 25 April 2018. The children and teachers mourn his passing but we believed that he has been relieved of his sufferings.
