Ernie Dosio, a 75-year-old California vineyard owner and veteran big-game hunter, was crushed to death by a group of elephants last Friday while hunting in Gabon's Lope-Okanda rainforest.
Dosio was tracking yellow-backed duiker, a small antelope species, when he and his professional hunting guide unexpectedly encountered five female elephants accompanied by a calf. The elephants, startled by their presence, turned on the hunters. Dosio was killed in the encounter. His guide suffered serious injuries.
The hunting company Collect Africa confirmed the death of its client and reported on the guide's condition to international media. A retired hunter who knew Dosio told UK outlets that the incident was a chance encounter in which the elephants were surprised by the hunters' presence.
Dosio, originally from Lodi, California, had spent decades pursuing trophies across Africa and the United States. His collection included elephants and lions. He maintained a reputation within Sacramento hunting circles, particularly the Sacramento Safari Club, and was known to conduct only licensed expeditions complying with local regulations.
His business interests extended far beyond the hunting field. Dosio owned Pacific AgriLands Inc, which managed 12,000 acres of vineyard operations in Modesto and provided financing and equipment services to wine producers throughout California. The US embassy in Gabon is now arranging to return his remains to the state.
The fatal encounter highlights the risks inherent in trophy hunting, an industry generating hundreds of millions annually. In South Africa, the sector's value fluctuated significantly over the past two decades, ranging from $100 million in 2005 to $68 million in 2012 and climbing back to $120 million in 2015.
Gabon's forests harbor approximately 95,000 forest elephants, representing the vast majority of the species' remaining global population. The subspecies is classified as endangered. Across Africa, trophy hunters legally kill tens of thousands of wild animals yearly, though the practice remains controversial among conservation advocates and animal welfare organizations.
The incident follows another American hunter's death in South Africa last year, when a buffalo he was stalking turned and killed him. High-profile trophy hunters have long included wealthy Americans and political figures. During his first term, former President Donald Trump established a wildlife advisory board that worked to loosen federal restrictions on importing African elephant, lion, and rhinoceros trophies. The board was disbanded in 2020 after lawsuits challenged its composition and accused it of favoring hunting interests over conservation.
Author James Rodriguez: "Dosio's death underscores a grim reality: even experienced hunters pursuing legal prey face lethal consequences when they venture into wild territories where animals operate on survival instinct."
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