A wealthy businessman and vineyard owner from California was trampled to death by a herd of elephants while hunting in Africa, and the hunting guide who accompanied him was seriously injured.
According to multiple foreign media reports, the deceased, Ernie Dosio (75), died in an accident on the 17th of this month while hunting in Gabon, a country in Central-West Africa. Dosio had planned to hunt a rare yellow-backed duiker, but accidentally wandered into a herd of mother elephants protecting their young in the dense rainforest. These forest elephants, standing up to 3.6 meters tall and weighing nearly 4 tons, are highly aggressive, especially when protecting their calves.
The attacking elephant herd consisted of five mother elephants and one calf.
Dosio was the owner of Pacific Agricultural Land Company, managing 12,000 acres of vineyards in Modesto, California and providing equipment and financing services to winemakers.
Dosio was an avid big game hunting enthusiast, whose travels spanned across the African continent, hunting many rare animals such as lions, rhinos, leopards, and cape buffalo. His home trophy room was filled with various animal head trophies. He was a well-known figure at the Sacramento Hunting Club in California.
Friends of Dosio revealed that he had been hunting ever since he was able to hold a rifle.