Family of millionaire big game hunter trampled to death by elephants reveal 'chaotic' way they learned of his death
Ernie Dosio, a 75-year-old millionaire from California, was ambushed while taking part in a £30,000 hunt in the thick forests of Gabon
The grieving family of a millionaire big-game hunter, trampled to death by five elephants while hunting small forest antelope in central Africa, have described the "chaotic" way they heard of his death.
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Ernie Dosio, a 75-year-old millionaire from California, was ambushed while taking part in a £30,000 hunt in the thick forests of Gabon.
His ex-wife said the family's lawyers were told about the death before relatives themselves.
His son, Jeff Dosio, said the facts of his final moments had been "twisted," and more information about what really happened is set to be revealed.
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Dosio, a vineyard owner who owned and displayed a vast collection of exotic animal heads in his home, was seeking a shot at the elusive yellow-backed duiker.
He had previously killed elephants, leopards, rhinos, buffalo, and lions across Africa, while also hunting every species of wild deer in the States.
The circumstances of his death have sparked fierce debate online, with some critics celebrating. Comedian Ricky Gervais posted on X: "The best thing is, they'll never forget it."
Jeff Dosio said, "It hasn't been fun. It hasn't been fun at all".
"Whoever got all these pictures of our trophy room - I don't know how that came about at all," he told The Daily Mail, adding: "I want to set the record straight with my sincerity at the bottom of it and my statement".
Dosio's luck ran out in the Lope-Okanda rainforest when he and his professional guide stumbled into five female elephants with a calf on April 17.
They startled the herd, which immediately charged at the pair.
Rinda Butler Dosio, Dosio's ex-wife, described the family's confusion in the aftermath of the fatal incident, with claims that another man had also been killed, and the tour company stating he had been injured.
"There's so many different things that are going around. Everything gets kind of exaggerated," she said.
"The day it happened, we heard it was buffalo and different crazy things. The lawyers got called before the family".
"There's just some things that just don't make sense. It's a huge shock. He was a big-time hunter, and it shouldn't have happened. He and another man were killed".
A female African elephant can stand 12ft tall at the shoulder, weigh nearly four tons and run at speeds of up to 25mph.
But Dosio was unable to see the mammals as they were so well hidden in the dense undergrowth, meaning they appeared "as if from nowhere".
His guide was seriously injured first and lost his gun in the thick bush, leaving the millionaire with just a shotgun as the elephants charged at and trampled him.
A retired game hunter in Cape Town who knows the victim told the Daily Mail: "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, in particular the yellow-backed duiker and, under strict licensing laws, he could not take along his own guns.
"The hunting company would supply a shotgun and cartridges for the duiker hunt.
"Whilst in the forest Ernie and his PH (professional hunter) surprised five forest elephant cows with a calf. Feeling under threat the elephants immediately attacked them."
Dosio's body is being repatriated by the US Embassy in Gabon to Lodi in California.
Gabon is known as Africa's last Eden with 88 per cent of its 100,000 square mile territory covered by forest.
It is home to 60 per cent of the world's remaining forest elephants, with around 50,000 believed to be hidden deep in the country's dense forests.
Dosio was hunting for the rare yellow-backed duiker, which is a shy, forest dwelling antelope with short 8in horns first discovered by an English botanist in 1815.
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 and their professional hunter was injured.
It said the matter was being handled by the US Embassy and his family in California.
Father-of-two Dosio was the owner Pacific AgriLands Inc which has its own 12,000-acre vineyard in Modesto but specialises in providing management for local wine farms.
His son Jeff is president of the highly successful company which also supplies custom vine harvesting equipment throughout the region which produces 40 per cent of Californian wines.
A representative of Pacific AgriLand inc said: "Nobody here at present is available to speak. That has to be down to his son Jeff when he is ready to say something to you.
"Ernie was very popular and Jeff is taking many calls as you can well imagine. It is a huge tragedy."