Millionaire big game hunter trampled to death by herd of 5 elephants | News World

A millionaire US big game hunter was ambushed and killed by five elephants whilst hunting a small forest antelope.

Ernie Dosio, who owns an unlimited collection of exotic animal heads in trophy rooms back home, was trampled to death while on a hunt within the Lope area of Gabon.

The 75-year-old was being guided by an expert hunter in thick forest on a £30,000 stalk of a yellow backed duiker.

The vineyard owner has hunted elephants, leopard, rhino, buffalo and lion across Africa and back home within the US he has hunted almost every species of untamed deer.

But his luck ran out last Friday when his hunt stumbled right into a herd of 5 big elephant cows with a calf.

The startled elephant herd immediately charged Dosio and his skilled hunter.

The elephants were so well hidden within the dense undergrowth they appeared ‘as if from nowhere’ and the skilled with the high-powered rifle was just flung aside.

He was seriously injured and lost his gun within the thick bush because the elephants attacked the terrified hunter with only a shotgun who was then brutally trampled underfoot.

A retired game hunter in Cape Town who knows 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.

‘Ernie had booked a hunt for dwarf forest buffalo and duikers, specifically the yellow backed duiker, and under strict licensing laws he couldn’t take along his own guns.

‘The hunting company would supply a shotgun and cartridges for the duiker hunt.

‘Whilst within the forest Ernie and his PH (skilled hunter) surprised 5 forest elephant cows with young and feeling under threat the elephants immediately attacked them.

‘The skilled hunter was attacked first and seriously injured losing his rifle which was knocked from him and lost within the undergrowth leaving Ernie together with his shotgun.

‘I might slightly not go into detail but it surely is protected to assume it could have been quick.

‘Ernie was a really well-known and popular hunter within the US and in Africa and a really keen conservationist and he did a hell of a whole lot of charity work and was a extremely good guy.

‘What happened has been deeply felt by many all sides of the Atlantic,’ he said.

Dosio’s body is being repatriated by the US Embassy in Gabon to Lodi in California.

Gabon is often called Africa’s last Eden with 88% of its 100,000 square mile territory covered by forest and it’s home to 60% of the world’s remaining forest elephants.

There are some 50,000 of them hidden deep within the dense forests of the country once famed for its pygmies which is now one in every of the richest in Africa per capita income.

Dosio was trying to find the rare yellow backed duiker which is a shy forest dwelling antelope first discovered by an English botanist in 1815 with short 8” horns.

He also had a licence allowing him to hunt dwarf forest buffalo in Gabon.

The safari company Collect Africa confirmed a client had been killed on April 17 in a temporary statement saying he and and his PH had encountered the elephants during a hunt in Central Gabon.

It said the skilled hunter was injured after the pair encountered 5 cow elephants while trying to find yellow backed duiker and that unfortunately their client had been killed.

It said the matter was being handled by the US Embassy and his family in California.

The US Embassy in Gabon said that a media reply could take ‘several days’ to process through state apartments.

Dosio lived with long run partner Betty in a detached 4-bed home on the outskirts of Lodi 30 miles south of Sacramento in the center of the California wine growing region. 

The daddy-of-two was the owner of Pacific AgriLands Inc which has its own 12,000 acre vineyard in Modesto but specialises in providing management for local wine farms.

Son Jeff is President of the highly successful company which also supplies custom vine harvesting equipment throughout the region which produces 40% of Californian wines.

His other son Blake can be a farmer and believed to work within the thriving family business which supports many of the local vineyards including world famous E & J Gallo wines.

Ernie was a mainstay within the Sacramento Safari Club and a life member of hunting group California Wildfowl and on the board of the local Lodi Winegrape Commission.

He also held the post of Great Elk within the Californian Central District Elks, which is a charitable group made up of 1900 lodges with 750,000 members throughout the US.

The Elks are made up of patriotic Americans known for its many philanthropic programs which support military veterans, youth scholarships and disaster relief.

Lodi Lodge secretary Tommy Whitman said in a Facebook statement yesterday: ‘It’s with a most heavy heart and sadness that I’m reporting the passing of Ernio Dosio.

‘May all of our thoughts and prayers exit to his family and family members.  Ernie was Great Elk for 30 years and a pillar in our community who will probably be sorely missed.’

He added afterwards: ‘Ernie all the time had his hand in his pocket and would help out those that needed  or not it’s it war veterans or handicapped or underprivileged kids.

‘He would never want recognition but he was all the time there with a loving heart.

‘Ernie’s passion was hunting and he spent much of his time either hunting here within the USA or in Africa and most of his trophies are on display at his own trophy rooms.

‘He will probably be really missed around here and was one in every of the true good guys,’ he said.

A representative of Pacific AgriLand inc said: ‘No one here at present is obtainable to talk.  That must be all the way down to his son Jeff when he’s able to say something to you.

‘Ernie was highly regarded and Jeff is taking many calls as you may well imagine.  It is a large tragedy,’ she said.

The massive game hunter had his own private function rooms stuffed with a whole lot of his trophies, including elephant, rhino, bear, buffalo, lion, crocodile, zebra and leopard.

Dosio also shot and had almost every species of buck within the USA including elk, moose and reindeer mounted on the partitions together with wildfowl including turkeys and geese.

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 residents of the community.

‘There can be judges, advocates and the heads of the local vineyards and massive noises from industry and commerce and it was where all of the local networking was done.

‘It was all the time an enormous fundraiser with money raised going to assist those that needed it.

‘Ernie together with his big moustache was larger than life but didn’t show it off although he had money he was not one for the massive house or fancy cars or the jet-set lifestyle.

‘He was a only a farmer and good old country boy who loved to hunt and fish.  There are usually not many within 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 got here out of nowehere.  One thing is needless to say he’ll get an enormous send off,’ he said.

MORE: Dad blames council for daughter’s death on rope swing

MORE: Psychic who claims to confer with the dead says they share two regrets about life

MORE: Tiger escapes circus ring and prowls through families within the audience