An American millionaire and veteran big-game hunter has died after being trampled by elephants during a hunting expedition in Gabon.
Ernie Dosio, 75, a vineyard owner from Lodi, California, was on a licensed hunt targeting the yellow-backed duiker, an antelope species, when the incident occurred last Friday.
The trip took place deep in the Lope-Okanda rainforest, a biodiverse area known for its forest elephant population. Reports say Dosio and his professional guide encountered five female elephants with a calf, a situation regarded as highly dangerous due to the animals’ protective behaviour.
Safari operator Collect Africa confirmed the death of its client and said the accompanying guide suffered serious injuries. The encounter is believed to have escalated after the elephants were “surprised” by the hunters’ presence.
Dosio, owner of Pacific AgriLands Inc, was well known in hunting circles and a member of the Sacramento Safari Club. Over decades, he built a large collection of trophies, including elephants and lions, reflecting his long-standing involvement in big-game hunting.
A retired hunter who knew him told the Daily Mail: “Ernie has been hunting since he could hold a rifle and has many trophies from Africa and the US. Although many disagree with big-game hunting, all Ernie’s hunts were strictly licensed and above board and were registered as conservation in culling animal numbers.”
The same source, based in Cape Town, said the fatal encounter likely followed the elephants being “surprised” by sudden human presence.
Beyond hunting, Dosio was a prominent agricultural businessman. His firm managed about 12,000 acres of vineyard land in Modesto, California, and provided services and equipment financing to wine producers. US embassy officials in Gabon are coordinating the repatriation of his remains.
The incident has also drawn attention to Gabon’s forests, home to an estimated 95,000 forest elephants, believed to be most of the species’ global population. The animals are classified as highly endangered, adding sensitivity to encounters involving human activity.
Globally, trophy hunting remains both lucrative and controversial.
Tens of thousands of wild animals are legally hunted each year, often by wealthy international clients. In parts of Africa, including South Africa, the industry has been valued in the tens of millions of dollars, with estimates ranging from $100 million in 2005 to $120 million in 2015, according to the EMS Foundation.