Share to ClassroomAmerican Hunter Killed by Elephants in Gabon
A 75-year-old American hunter has died after being attacked by forest elephants in Gabon, central Africa. Ernie Dosio, a wealthy vineyard owner from California, was hunting a small antelope called the yellow-backed duiker last Friday in the Lope-Okanda rainforest. He was with a professional guide when they suddenly met five female elephants and a calf. The animals felt threatened and charged at them. The guide was flung aside and seriously hurt, losing his rifle. Dosio, carrying only a shotgun, was trampled to death before help could arrive.
Dosio had paid about $40,000for the licensed hunt, which was organised by a company called Collect Africa. He had hunted big animals for decades across Africa, including elephants, lions, and buffalo. A retired hunter who knew him said all of Dosio's trips were strictly licensed and registered as conservation work to control animal numbers. However, many conservation groups disagree with this view. According to recent surveys, Gabon shelters about 95,000 forest elephants— the largest remaining population of this critically endangered species. Experts argue that wealthy trophy hunters threaten these fragile populations rather than help to protect them.
Officials at the United States Embassy in Gabon are now working to send Dosio's body back to California. He leaves behind a long-term partner, two sons, and a large business managing 12,000 acres of vineyards near Modesto. Members of the Sacramento Safari Club and his local Elks lodge have paid tribute to him as a generous community leader. Dosio's death is the second high-profile tragedy involving an American big-game hunter in Africa within a year. In 2025, a 52-year-old Texan was gored to death by a Cape buffalo in South Africa.
