An American millionaire who was known for big-game hunting has died after being trampled by a group of elephants during a trip in Gabon.
75-year-old Ernie Dosio, vineyard owner, was in central Africa hunting yellow-backed duiker, a type of antelope.
The incident happened last Friday in the Lope-Okanda rainforest when he and his guide suddenly ran into a group of elephants.
Dosio had spent years building up a large collection of hunting trophies, including animals like lions and elephants, and was well known in hunting circles such as the Sacramento Safari Club.
The safari company handling the trip confirmed his death and said the professional hunter guiding him was also seriously hurt in the incident.
Someone who knew Dosio and had also hunted before said he had been doing it for most of his life and had taken part in many trips across Africa and the US.
They also pointed out that his hunts were legally permitted and tied to conservation efforts that involve managing animal populations.
From what they understood, the elephants likely reacted after being caught off guard by the presence of Dosio and his guide.
Outside of hunting, Dosio owned Pacific AgriLands Inc, a company that manages about 12,000 acres of vineyard land in Modesto and provides services and financing to wine producers. Officials are now working on returning his body back to California.
Gabon has a massive number of forest elephants, with about 95,000 living there; that’s actually most of the species left in the world, and they’re considered highly endangered.
Big-game hunting is still pretty controversial, with thousands of wild animals being killed every year through legal hunting trips.
Some wealthy Americans still take part in these expeditions, including Donald Trump Jr, who drew attention years ago after photos showed him posing with part of an elephant.
The industry itself brings in millions of dollars.
In South Africa alone, the industry has been valued anywhere from tens of millions to over a hundred million dollars over the years, based on estimates from the EMS Foundation.
During his time in office, Donald Trump also set up a wildlife advisory board that looked at rules around importing trophies like animal heads and hides.
That group ended up being shut down in 2020 after legal challenges claimed it was biased toward trophy hunters and focused more on economic gains than conservation.
Incidents like this aren’t unheard of either. Just last year, another American hunter was killed by a buffalo while on a hunting trip in South Africa.
