The first polar bear born in the tropics in Singapore was put down after a rapid decline in health on Wednesday. He had reached the grand old age of 27 or 70 in human years. Inuka suffered age-related ailments, including arthritis. An examination at the start of April revealed his health was failing. His weakened limbs had trouble supporting his body and he developed cuts on his paws and a wound on his abdomen. As few as 22,000 polar bears are thought to remain in the wild, according to WWF. They are typically found in places with cold climates such as Greenland, Canada and Russia. His death marks the end of an era for the zoo, which has said it will not keep any more polar bears in its collection.
