Millionaire Big-Game Hunter Trampled to Death by Elephants in Africa

A 75-year-old American big game hunter and vineyard owner from California has been killed by a herd of elephants in Gabon while hunting a small forest antelope.

Ernie Dosio, who owned Pacific AgriLands Inc and managed 12,000 acres of vineyard land in Modesto, California, was on a licensed hunting expedition in the Lope-Okanda rainforest when he and his professional guide unexpectedly encountered five female elephants accompanied by a calf.

The elephants, described as being well hidden in the dense undergrowth, charged suddenly, flinging the guide aside and leaving Dosio, who was armed only with a shotgun, to be trampled underfoot. The guide sustained serious injuries and lost his rifle during the attack.

Dosio had hunted extensively across Africa and the United States, maintaining a trophy collection that included elephants, lions, rhinos, buffalo, and leopards. He was a known member of the Sacramento Safari Club and had pursued nearly every species of wild deer in the U.S.

A retired game hunter from Cape Town who knew Dosio said he had been hunting since childhood and that all his hunts were strictly licensed, registered as conservation efforts, and conducted within legal frameworks.

Dosio was hunting a yellow-backed duiker, a small forest antelope species, at the time of the incident. The hunt had been arranged through the safari operator Collect Africa, which confirmed his death and reported the guide’s injuries.

The incident occurred last Friday in Gabon’s Lope area, a region known for its dense rainforest and wildlife populations. Local authorities and the safari operator have been notified, though no further details about investigations or legal proceedings have been made public.