NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — The Buttonwood Park Zoo said that its 66-year-old Asian elephant Ruth has died. The zoo said that Ruth had entered hospice care in October due to a “consistent, age-related decline in her mobility,” where she received treatments including oral pain medications and supplemental pain management therapies. However, here arthritis had become “debilitating.” Ruth originally came to the zoo in 1986, after being an “elephant for hire” in the 1970s, and been diagnosed with “skeletal conformational abnormalities” that led to uneven distribution of weight on her feet, as well as proliferative pododermatitis, which caused too much tissue to grow around the nails, toes, or pads of her feet. The zoo said that the treatment for her feet was so successful that it was used worldwide to assist elephants with the condition. “The zoo will be closed until Jan. 2, 2025, to allow the staff, as well as Emily – BPZOO’s 60-year-old Asian elephant and Ruth’s long-time companion – time to grieve this immense loss,” a statement from the zoo read. A “celebration of Ruth’s life” will also be held in the spring. “Ruth was beloved by so many,” BPZOO Interim Director Shara Rapoza said. “We wanted to invite the public into the process because while she means so much to our former and present animal care team, we also know that she touched countless others with her gentle nature, immense strength, and obvious intelligence. She is a symbol of compassion and resilience for so many.” Categories: Massachusetts, New Bedford, News