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Source:
www.zoo.com.sg |
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STATEMENT ON RECOMMENDATION
BY WRS'S ANIMAL WELFARE AND ETHICS COMMITTEE FOR INUKA THE POLAR
BEAR TO REMAIN IN SINGAPORE |
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During a committee meeting on January 27,
2007, Wildlife Reserves Singapore¡¯s Animal Welfare & Ethics Committee (AWEC)
has made a recommendation that Inuka the polar bear should remain in
Singapore and not be relocated to a temperate country following his
mother¡¯s demise. |
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AWEC made the decision after considering
several factors: |
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The life span of both Inuka (17 years old)
and his mother Sheba (30 years old) indicate that both polar bears are
faring well in this environment. Moving Inuka to a temperate facility
after losing his mother will add further stress, since he will be
removed from an environment that he is already familiar with. |
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The transport of a full grown polar bear to
an institution in a temperate country will be a stressful situation and
carries its own share of risks; most extreme being that Inuka may die
during transportation or during the introduction process in the new
facility. |
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Depending on when Sheba passes on, Inuka may
have only limited breeding potential because of his age, and if sent to
a temperate institution, will probably not contribute to the captive
breeding effort. |
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While the initial decision was to move Inuka
to a temperate country upon the demise of his mother Sheba, the AWEC
committee believes retaining Inuka in Singapore Zoo was in his best
interest, considering that Sheba is still very healthy and Inuka has
only three years left to be sexually reproductive. |
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AWEC members weighed heavily the pros and
cons. |
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On one hand, logic prevails that Artic
animals should reside in temperate climates as they thrive better. |
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On the other hand, mother polar bear Sheba
has thrived beyond the average lifespan and Inuka who was born here in
the tropics is now 17 years old. Initially, it seems more humane to
relocate Inuka after his mother¡¯s passing away. |
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However, as Singapore Zoo and AWEC continue
to study and review the matter, it became clear that it may be more
distressing for Inuka to lose not only his mother but also the home and
keepers he has had since he was born in Singapore. |
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AWEC and Singapore Zoo, nevertheless, will
continue to keep an open view. With new discoveries every so often in
veterinary science, captive animal breeding and management around the
world, there will be a need to again assess the situation at that point
in time when Sheba passes on. |
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BACKGROUND: AWEC |
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AWEC was formed in May 2001 to provide
counsel and advice on matters relating to the welfare of animals.
Of the 14 members, 9 are independent professionals from various
fields. |
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AWEC members comprise: |
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Chairman |
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Professor Leo Tan
Director, National Institute of
Education
Chairman, NParks |
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Immediate Past Chairman
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Professor Tommy Koh
Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs |
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Secretary |
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Biswajit Guha
Assistant Director (Zoology),
Singapore Zoo |
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Committee Members
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| Dr
Chua Sin Bin
Chief Executive Officer, Agri-food
and Veterinary Authority |
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Dato Mikaail Kavanagh
Former-Executive Director, WWF
Malaysia |
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Bernard Harrison
Principal Partner, Bernard Harrison
& Friends |
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Ms Carla Barker
Chairman SPCA |
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Ms Fanny Lai
Executive Director, Singapore Zoo &
Night Safari |
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Dr Geh Min
President, Nature Society Singapore
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Dr Jean-Paul Ly
Consultant, Animal Recovery Centre,
Singapore |
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Dr Peter K L Ng
Director, Raffles Museum of
Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore |
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Dr Ho Yew Kee
Executive Director, Secretariat,
Wildlife Reserves Singapore |
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Dr Wong Hon Mun
Executive Director, Jurong BirdPark
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Source:
www.zoo.com.sg News Release 3
May 2007 |
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Notice |
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FrontPage Edition: Fri 4 May 2007
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