Share to ClassroomHunter Killed by Elephants in Africa
An American hunter died last week after forest elephants attacked him in Gabon, in central Africa. Ernie Dosio was 75 years old. He was a wealthy vineyard owner from California. He was hunting a small antelope deep in the Lope-Okanda rainforest. Suddenly he and his guide met five female elephants with a baby. The elephants felt scared and ran at them. The guide was thrown to the ground and hurt. Dosio only had a shotgun. He could not stop the elephants and was killed.
Dosio paid about $40,000for the hunt. A company called Collect Africa organised the trip. He had hunted big animals for many years across Africa. Friends said his hunts were legal and helped control animal numbers. But many wildlife experts disagree. Gabon has about 95,000 forest elephants— the largest group in the world. These elephants are critically endangered. Wildlife groups say rich hunters threaten them.
The American government is helping to send Dosio's body home to California. He leaves behind a partner, two sons, and a large family business. Friends in his hunting club have shared sad messages about him. Dosio's death is not the first this year. In 2025, another American hunter was killed by a buffalo in South Africa.
