Inuka, the only polar bear ever born in the tropics, has died of age-related ailments, the Singapore Zoo said on Wednesday. The bear was 27 years old and outlived its counterparts in the wild by more than a decade.

“We have jointly made the difficult but necessary decision to not revive Inuka from anaesthesia on humane grounds,” BBC quoted the zoo authorities as saying.

The zoo will put up a tribute wall at Inuka’s enclosure from Thursday for visitors to pen their tributes to the bear, and also hold a private memorial service, The Straits Times reported.

Wildlife Reserves Singapore, which runs the zoo, said that it would perform a full autopsy on the polar bear and might even preserve parts of it for educational purposes.

Inuka had been suffering from ailments such as arthritis, dental issues and ear infections for the past five years. He had started dragging his feet as his limbs had weakened. This had caused ulcerations on his pads, which led to infections between his toes. The polar bear also had a wound on his lower abdomen and suffered from recurring urinary tract infections.