A millionaire trophy hunter has been killed by a herd of five angry elephants while hunting antelope in central Africa. Ernie Dosio, 75, was trampled to death by the stampede as he stalked through a thick forest in Gabon.
The Incident
Dosio met his demise on April 17 when the veteran hunter was ambushed by a herd of elephants as he hunted a small forest antelope in the Lope area of Gabon. The hunt was for a yellow-backed duiker, a secretive and elusive species. Dosio had a license to hunt dwarf forest buffalo but was only permitted a shotgun for the deer hunt. He stood little chance against the herd of five elephants, which were guarding a young calf.
Background of the Hunter
Dosio, a vineyard owner from Lodi, California, displayed a vast collection of exotic animal heads across trophy rooms in his home, including elephant, rhino, bear, buffalo, crocodile, lion, zebra, and leopard. He also shot and killed almost every species of buck in the US, including elk, moose, and reindeer.
He was the owner of Pacific AgriLands Inc., which has its own 12,000-acre vineyard in Modesto and specializes in providing management for local wine farms. His son, Jeff, is President of the company, which produces 40 percent of Californian wines. His other son, Blake, is a farmer and also worked in the family business.
Reactions and Tributes
A retired game hunter in Cape Town who knew the victim said: “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.”
He added: “Ernie was a very well-known and popular hunter in the US and in Africa and a very keen conservationist and he did a hell of a lot of charity work and was a really good guy.”
Safari company Collect Africa confirmed the death of a client on April 17, stating that he and the professional hunter had encountered five elephant cows and a calf during a hunt for a yellow-backed duiker.
Lodi Lodge secretary Tommy Whitman said in a Facebook statement: “It is with a most heavy heart and sadness that I am reporting the passing of Ernio Dosio. May all of our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones. Ernie was Great Elk for 30 years and a pillar in our community who will be sorely missed.”
A family friend said: “Ernie would hold a charity function there every month where food was served to members of the Elk lodges and upstanding citizens of the community. There would be judges, advocates and the heads of the local vineyards and big noises from industry and commerce and it was where all the local networking was done. It was always a huge fundraiser with money raised going to help those who needed it.”
He added: “Ernie with his big moustache was larger than life but did not show it off although he had money he was not one for the big house or fancy cars or the jet-set lifestyle. He was just a farmer and good old country boy who loved to hunt and fish. There are not many in the US today who would have a trophy collection to match Ernie’s. The news of his death in Africa was like a bomb going off here. It has been said the elephants came out of nowhere. One thing is for sure he will get a huge send off.”
