New Bedford’s Buttonwood Park Zoo announced the death of Ruth, a 66-year-old Asian elephant, in a statement Saturday morning.
“A beloved member of the zoo family and icon throughout Greater New Bedford, Ruth was surrounded by her animal and veterinary care team at the time of her passing on Friday,” the statement read.
Ruth called the zoo home for the last 38 years.
The zoo previously announced Ruth entered hospice care due to an age-related decline in her mobility in October.
“Ruth was beloved by so many,” the zoo’s 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.”
Before arriving at Buttonwood Park Zoo, Ruth spent her early years as part of a herd at Benson’s Wild Animal Farm in Hudson, New Hampshire, before being sold to a private owner in the late 1970s.
She then spent several years as an “elephant for hire” until she was confiscated by the Boston Animal Rescue League.
By 1986, Ruth joined the New Bedford zoo, a little timid and with partial paralysis in the center part of her trunk, according to Buttonwood Park Zoo.
She was also diagnosed with skeletal conformational abnormalities, meaning she had an uneven distribution of pressure on parts of her feet and joints while walking and standing.
“The animal that arrived here when I was just 16 years old is not the same Ruthie that we all grew to love,” Rapoza said.
Over time, Ruth settled into the zoo lifestyle and Rapoza called her “our thinker.”
“She was smart and knew how to carefully assess a situation,” Rapoza said. “She was incredibly sassy and was always testing staff members. She was the one who decided who was allowed into the herd.”
In December, the zoo’s veterinarians saw a steady decline in Ruth’s mobility and a significant increase in her pain despite a variety of medications and treatments, according to Dr. Emmy Budas.
“Ruth was not just an elephant that I have been bonded to and taken care of for the last 24 years,” said Kay Santos, BPZOO’s head elephant keeper. “She was my companion, a teacher, and an inspiration.”
The zoo will be closed until Jan. 2 to allow staff to grieve the loss. A celebration of Ruth’s life will be held in the spring, according to the zoo.
