It is six weeks since Echo died. The family is still split into sub-units but there seems to be a pattern emerging.

Ella’s section of the family has not been seen. In fact, the records show that she left the area before Echo died. This kind of move is not unusual for Ella, but to stay away for this long is unexpected. Ella, who is Echo’s sister and is the oldest female remaining at 44 years old, forms a small sub-group of nine animals including her two daughters Emma and Elettra and their calves.

Edwina, who is Echo’s granddaughter, along with her four daughters have broken off and are spending each day in Ol Tukai Orok near the research camp. More often than not over the last couple of years Edwina was separated from Echo’s part of the family, so this split is not at all unexpected. One aspect of it is unusual. Her oldest daughter, Europa, appears to be strongly drawn to the larger part of the family. She is often found with the Eudora and Eliot section but not quite of it. Rather she is always on the periphery, which is a sad sight. The pull to the social stimulation of the much bigger group must be very strong to make her leave her mother.

Eleanor, Edwina’s younger sister, seems to have no strong bonds with anyone. She and her three calves usually move on their own or they join up with part of one of the other groups. Her oldest calf, Elmo, is sometimes with his mother but is often with the larger section of the family. At 10 years old he is starting his transition to independence.

Eudora, who is Echo’s niece and at 37 years is the next oldest female after Ella, appears to be taking over the leadership of the main body of the family. For awhile after Echo died her small subgroup of six individuals, including her adult daughter Elspeth, moved on its own. Then she joined up with Eliot’s part of the family. Until that time Eliot had been leading most of the remaining close relatives of Echo, that is, her daughters and granddaughters and their calves. About two weeks after Echo died Eudora and Eliot left the area completely and went out to the western part of the Park. This move was major for the EBs who are serious homebodies. They stayed out there for about three weeks and returned to the centre of their range four days ago. Watching them carefully over the last few days, it seems that Eudora is taking up the leadership role.

Enid and her three calves form the fifth sub-group. The oldest living daughter of Echo, Enid is the one most disturbed by her death. She was very strongly bonded to Echo, rarely found more than a few metres from her. When Eudora and Eliot left Enid stayed behind and slept each night close to Echo’s carcass. Her two youngest calves stayed close to her, but her oldest calf Ejac was with her on some days but mostly apart. At 12 years old he is definitely going independent. Poor Enid, during the period the others were away she showed signs of being very distraught. She had temporal gland secretion and called frequently. Her behaviour was probably both a response to losing Echo and to her family leaving. Now that the others are back she follows along behind them but keeps her distance. She doesn’t seem as distraught, but still seems disturbed and very subdued.

Echo was a wise and experienced matriarch. She taught her family well and with that knowledge she imparted they will carry on without her.

Breakdown of the EB Sub-Groups:

Ella = 9
Edwina = 5
Eleanor = 4
Eudora/Eliot = 17
Enid = 4