Echo was an African bush elephant matriarch who was studied for over 30 years by ethologist Cynthia Moss, beginning in 1973,[1] and was the subject of several books and films.
The study of Echo and her family contributed significantly to the understanding of elephants, including their life-cycles, methods of communication, emotional lives, and cooperative care of the young.
The large calf had become cramped in the womb during the 22-month pregnancy and was born with rigid carpal joints, making it almost impossible for him to walk.
[4] Ely provided scientists with additional evidence of elephant emotional bonds when he was wounded by a spear at the age of seven.
[5] Biologist Marc Bekoff advances these examples of Echo's behavior to argue that elephants have complex emotional lives, and their families should not be broken up for zoos and circuses.