Echo: An Elephant to Remember

Echo is an elephant matriarch who was studied by Cynthia Moss for over 28 years. Echo led her family through many droughts, and through many tough times. Her family was close-nit, and they depended on each other for survival. I have followed the story of Echo the elephant, ever since she has been followed in the 1990's. I remember the documentary they had following the birth of her son Eli. Her son was crippled for the first 3 days of his life. He walked around on his knees until they turned raw, because he could not stand up straight like the other normal baby elephants.Even though his strength was fading, one day he finally gathered up the strength to stand up straight. Eli finally got his first chance to nurse from his mother. After he got his first meal, his strength improved and he became stronger every day thereafter. Echo went on to have other babies after that, and the documentaries about her slowed down. Echo's daughter's remained with her over the years, and they also helped her look out for the young elephant calves.This movie is more about the final demise of Echo, It is very interesting, and I enjoyed it so much. Echo was a very intelligent thinking elephant that was devoted to her family until the very end of her life. I like elephants even more than lions, but the good films about them are harder to find.

This is a brilliant film. I cried form start to finish, so you may need a box of tissue's on standby and within reach. Echo was a very special elephant who left a legacy. This film shows these animals are truly gentle giants. Elephant families have a strong caring bond between them that is never forgotten. A mother, who will not leave the side of her crippled son or a mother who comforts an injured daughter or a daughter who mourns her mother's death. Whilst the film has amazing sunsets and beautiful photography, the elephants live in harsh conditions and sadly their biggest enemy is man. Man's greed for their ivory and unwillingness to share land and water. Cynthia Moss and her team from the Amboseli Elephant Trust are dedicated to saving the elephant and they share their stories of joy and heartbreak. I have watched this film a second time, tissue box on standby, which was just at well as I cried just as much as I did the first time. I look forward to see how the family are going in Echo: The Next Generation

This is one of the best and one of the saddest elephant documentaries. It is about the passing of Echo and how it affected the other elephants of the herd. The program is only an hour long, but the content is so good that after watching it you feel that you have had a worthwhile experience with elephants. The blu-ray disc shows with much clarity the majestic scenery of the national park with Mount Kilimanjaro rising in the background. Cynthia Moss relates the stories of her long experience with elephants, and she probably knows them better than anyone else. You can sympathize with her and the others who worked with Echo when they have lost the elephant after knowing her for so many years. Elephants are sensitive, intelligent animals, much like the humans who care for them.If you own the previous documentaries of Nature or the BBC about Echo and her elephant family you will want to add this one to your collection. Perhaps another episode featuring elephants and/or African wildlife should have been added to what is offered here, since many of the other Nature DVD's/blu-rays contain bonus programs to make them at least two hours. It's the one thing that would have made this outstanding blu-ray/DVD even better. The program has such beautiful footage photographed with the latest technology that it makes you wish for more.

I have closely followed Echo's story for many years now. Watching every episode that Nature, or the BBC aired. When this episode finally aired, I felt like I had lost a friend as well. The documentary is one of the most moving and fascinating ones of the animal kingdom."Echo: An Elephant to Remember," had me in tears most of the episode, but clapping at the end. For we learn just how deep elephants are. Echo taught her family well, and she will live on through them. I hope the story doesn't end, for I would love to learn more about spunky Ebony, or see how well Echo's sister does in continuing to lead the family.It is sad to see such a magnificent creature go, but the story is one that cannot be missed. There is just too much to learn from it.Aside from the story, the photography is amazing. I never tire of seeing these awesome creatures dominate the plains, or watch them interact with each other. This is a must have for any animal lover.

You will like or like less this video depending on what you are looking for. The documentary film follows one matriarch and her offspring. The photography is great. The story of Echo and her family are heartbreaking and inspiring. However, I wanted something about elephants in general with more scientific explanations about things like how they choose mates, how far they roam, how many are typically in a herd, how many offspring do they typically have, what are the typical characteristics of matriarchs, what does the stress response look like in elephants, how long do they grieve, how do African elephants differ from Asian ones, and so forth and so on. This is not that type of film. This film is heavy on anecdote/story and soft on study & science. If you want to be invited into the lives of one family in an intimate way then you will love it. If you want more information about elephants in general, I'd suggest looking elsewhere.

I saw this video originally on PBS. I'm an animal and nature lover since childhood. Matriarch Echo is one of my favorite animal chronicles ever. I wanted to own this DVD so I can marvel over her life again and again.

I fell in love with Echo and her family when I saw a show about her on Animal Planet. After I found out I couldn't purchase that particular video, I started looking for anything and everything I could find about her and I am so glad that I found this video. I watch it over and over again. My husband is so tired of watching Echo, but he does enjoy her almost as much as I do.

If you love elephants you will enjoy this film.

This is an amazing DVD about a matriarch of a family of elephants in the Amboseli National Park, called Echo. She is a majestic old lady, who has many daughters, cousins, sons, aunts and other family members who look up to her to lead them through life in the National Park, to keep them safe and away from harm. She does this year round, in the wet season, but especially in the dry season, where she must find not only food for her family, but also water. She is a very wise old woman, and you can see how she leads, teaches and loves her family, throughout the years. This is a DVD every family should have in their DVD library, without doubt. Enjoy. Highly recommended.

Adoro elefantes. É um animal magnífico. Echo foi uma maravilhosa matriarca eviverá para sempre nos corações dos que amam a Natureza. O documentárioé excelente, muito bem filmado. Adorável. Protejamos os elefantes da caça do marfim.

Elephants are amazing creatures. If you think that they are just big animals that wander around hot places eating loads, then this film will show you that there is much more to them. It follows the life of Echo, the matriarch (leader) of her herd, from the time that the researchers met her, through her death (a real tear-jerker!), and beyond, to see what the impact of her leadership was after her death. This is the best film on elephants that I have seen and one of the best natural history films I've seen.

I have a series of this story about Echo and her family. This is a updated version featuring sadly Echo's death. So sad but at least she lived without fear about her families safety.I would like to see a update on how all of her offspring including grandchildren are fairing today that is if they have survived Human intervention.

Great documentary, my grandson loves elephants so he enjoyed it very much. He watches it at least once a day!