Ernie Dosio, a 75-year-old American big game hunter, was trampled to death by elephants while hunting in Gabon’s Lopé-Okanda forest on April 17. Dosio, a Californian vineyard owner and experienced hunter, and his professional hunting guide encountered a group of five forest elephants during a hunt for dwarf forest buffalo and yellow-backed duikers. The elephants, feeling threatened, charged the pair, fatally injuring Dosio and seriously wounding the guide.

According to a statement from the safari company Collect Africa, the professional hunter sustained injuries in the incident, while Dosio was killed. The company confirmed the death but provided few further details.

Dosio was described by acquaintances as a well-known figure in both the American and African hunting communities. He had built a reputation as a skilled hunter with a significant collection of trophies, including elephants, lions, rhinos, and leopards. Beyond hunting, he owned Pacific AgriLands Inc, a business operating a 12,000-acre vineyard in Modesto, California, specializing in services for local wineries. He resided with his long-term partner, Betty, near Lodi, California, where he was also noted for extensive charity work. Dosio held the role of Great Elk at a local Elks lodge for three decades, a position reflecting his active engagement in philanthropic efforts. Tommy Whitman, secretary of the Lodi Lodge, expressed deep sorrow over Dosio’s passing, highlighting his importance to the community.

Elephants, while often described as gentle, can be dangerous, particularly when protecting calves or during heightened sexual activity in males known as musth. The animals’ large size—adult males can weigh up to 6,100 kilograms—makes them especially hazardous in close encounters. Globally, elephants are estimated to cause 300 to 500 human fatalities annually.

Dosio’s death is not an isolated case of hunters being killed by wildlife during safaris. In 2017, South African hunter Theunis Botha died after being crushed by an elephant cow that had been shot in Zimbabwe. More recently, in August of the previous year, American hunter Asher Watkins was killed in South Africa by a Cape buffalo. Watkins’s death occurred during a safari in Limpopo province and was described by the trip organizer, CV Safaris, as an instantaneous and unprovoked attack. These incidents underscore the inherent risks associated with big game hunting in the wild.