A 75-year-old California hunter was killed after a group of elephants charged and trampled him during a guided hunting trip in Central Africa, authorities and safari officials said.
Ernie Dosio, a vineyard owner from Lodi, was on a licensed hunting expedition in Gabon when the attack happened on April 17, according to a statement from the safari company Collect Africa.
Dosio and a professional hunter were tracking a yellow-backed duiker, a small forest antelope, in dense rainforest when they encountered five female elephants with a calf, the company said. The animals charged after being startled, severely injuring the guide and killing Dosio during the encounter.
The guide lost his rifle during the attack, leaving Dosio with only a shotgun before he was trampled, according to accounts shared by individuals familiar with the incident.
Collect Africa confirmed the client’s death and said the professional hunter was injured after the encounter. The company said the situation is being handled with the victim’s family and US officials.
Dosio’s body is being repatriated to California with assistance from the US Embassy in Gabon.
A longtime hunter, Dosio had participated in big-game hunts across Africa and the United States over several decades, according to those who knew him. Friends and associates described him as experienced and active in conservation-related hunting programs, where licensed hunts are often used to manage animal populations.
Gabon is home to one of the largest populations of forest elephants in the world, with much of the country covered by dense rainforest. Female elephants, particularly when accompanied by a calf, are known to react aggressively to perceived threats.
Dosio owned Pacific AgriLands, a company tied to vineyard management in California’s Central Valley, and was active in local agricultural and charitable organizations. He was also involved in hunting and conservation groups and community fundraising efforts in the Lodi area.
