Elephant Dies of Mobility-Related Complications
Incident Date:
12/29/2024
Location:
Bedford, MA - USA
Facility Name:
Buttonwood Park Zoo
Facility Type:
Accredited AZA Facility (AZA)
Incident Category:
Animal Death (AD)
Species:
Elephants
Animal:
Animal disposition:
Dead
Summary:
Bedford, MA – Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford is mourning the death of a 66-year-old elephant that has been a member of the zoo for nearly 40 years. The zoo announced the death of Ruth, an Asian elephant who arrived at the facility in 1986. Ruth entered hospice in October due to what the zoo described as “consistent, age-related decline in her mobility.” She had a condition called proliferative pododermatitis, which causes excess tissue to grow around the nails, toes, or pads of her feet. Conditions in captivity, including limited opportunity to move over the large distances that elephants in the wild would, and standing/walking on hard substrates like concrete likely worsened her condition.
Action take by Born Free USA:
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