California millionaire trampled to death by elephants while on African hunting expedition

A California vineyard proprietor has died aft being crushed by elephants portion connected a hunting expedition successful Africa.

Ernie Dosio, 75, was hunting yellow-backed duikers successful Gabon erstwhile the deadly April 17 incidental occurred.

Dosio, who kept an extended postulation of carnal heads successful his home, was trampled to decease erstwhile helium and his usher stumbled into 5 pistillate elephants with a calf successful the Lope-Okanda rainforest, the Daily Mail reported.

Collect Africa, the Nigerian-based safari operator, confirmed Dosio’s decease to the publication. The California-Hawaii Elks Association besides confirmed Dosio’s decease connected Facebook.

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Elephants basal astatine the borderline of the wood astatine Pongara National Park adjacent Libreville, Gabon. Ernie Dosio, a big-game hunter, reportedly died past week aft helium was crushed by elephants portion hunting successful Gabon. (Christophe Van Der Perre/Reuters)

"It is with a astir dense bosom and sadness that I americium reporting the passing of Ernie Dosio earlier this week," Tommy Whitman, caput of Lodi Lodge 1900 and Central District Scouting chairman, wrote successful a statement. "May each of our thoughts and prayers spell retired to his household and loved ones. He volition beryllium sorely missed."

Fox News Digital has reached retired to the U.S. Embassy successful Gabon and the safari company.

An unnamed huntsman successful Cape Town who knew Dosio told the quality outlet that Dosio had been "hunting since helium could clasp a firearm and had galore trophies from Africa and the U.S."

Elephants are seen done heavy vegetation successful a wood astatine Pongara National Park adjacent Libreville, Gabon. (Christophe Van Der Perre/Reuters)

"Although galore disagree with big-game hunting, each of Ernie’s hunts were strictly licensed and supra committee and were registered arsenic conservation culls to negociate carnal numbers," helium said. "Ernie had booked a hunt for dwarf wood buffalo and duikers — successful particular, the yellow-backed duiker — and, nether strict licensing laws, helium could not instrumentality on his ain guns."

The hunting institution would proviso a shotgun and cartridges for the duiker hunt, helium said.

The huntsman added helium believes Dosio and his usher amazed the elephants, who attacked due to the fact that they felt threatened.

A wood elephant roams done a clearing successful Gamba, Gabon.

"I would alternatively not spell into detail, but it is harmless to presume it would person been quick," helium said. "Ernie was a precise well-known and fashionable huntsman successful the U.S. and successful Africa, and a precise keen conservationist; helium did a hellhole of a batch of foundation enactment and was a truly bully guy. What happened has been profoundly felt by galore connected some sides of the Atlantic."

Dosio's assemblage is being repatriated to America with assistance from the U.S. Embassy.

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Dosio owned Pacific AgriLands Inc., a Modesto, California, vineyard onshore absorption institution with its ain 12,000-acre vineyard, according to Lodi News.

Central Africa is location to astir endangered 95,000 wood elephants, with the largest numbers being recovered successful Gabon, according to the World Wildlife Fund.