NEW BEDFORD — To the relief and delight of the Buttonwood Park Zoo staff, Ruth, the 58-year-old Asian elephant, has made a strong recovery from a life-threatening gastrointestinal blockage.“She’s pretty close to being back to normal,’’ said Keith Lovett, zoo director. “She’s doing better.’’On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Ruth walked through her enclosure, playing with a rope toy and poking at a ball that the staff sometimes

Source: Ruth recovering after tough fight with gastrointestinal blockage