Tragedy in Gabon: US millionaire big-game hunter dies after being crushed by elephants

Ernie Dosio, a 75-year-old American millionaire and vineyard owner, was killed after being crushed by a group of elephants in the Lope-Okanda rainforest. While hunting for yellow-backed duiker, Dosio and his guide unexpectedly encountered five female elephants and a calf, leading to a fatal confrontation. 

As reported by the Daily Mail, safari operator Collect Africa confirmed Dosio’s death and noted that his professional guide sustained serious injuries during the encounter. While in the Lope-Okanda rainforest, he and his guide unexpectedly came across five female elephants accompanied by a calf. As reported by the Daily Mail, safari operator Collect Africa confirmed the actual reason for the death of its client. 

The company has reportedly clarified that the professional hunter is guiding Dosio about injuries made during the encounter. Reflecting on Dosio’s life, a retired hunter who knew him shared with the UK outlet: “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 registered as conservation efforts for culling animal numbers.”

It is pertinent to note that Gabon’s forests are renowned for sheltering approximately 95,000 forest elephants, which are considered highly endangered. Clients of the trophy-hunting industry claim the lives of tens of thousands of wild animals across the globe.

On the other hand, legal hunting tours in Africa are popular with some wealthy Americans, including Donald Trump Jr., who was pictured holding a severed elephant’s tail more than a decade ago. 

Data indicates that in South Africa, the industry’s worth ranges from $100m in 2005 to $2.5 billion in 2025, according to the EMS foundation. 

During his first term, Donald Trump established a controversial advisory board aimed at easing federal rules for importing trophy animal parts into the US.

The board was shut down in 2020 following lawsuits that claimed the panel was illegal and biased, as it was composed of trophy hunters instead of conservationists. 

Critics argue that the board focused on the economic gains of big-game hunting rather than true wildlife protection. 

Nonetheless, the text notes that these hunting expeditions carry significant risks, citing an incident last year where another American hunter was killed by a buffalo while stalking it in South Africa.