US Millionaire Killed By Elephant Herd While Hunting Antelope In African Jungle

An American millionaire and big-game hunter has died after being crushed by a herd of elephants during a $40,000 hunting trip in the African country of Gabon. Ernie Dosio, 75, was hunting antelopes in the Lope-Okanda rainforest when he and his guide unexpectedly came across five female elephants accompanied by a calf. Despite being armed with a shotgun, the elephants flung Dosio to the side before stampeding over him. The guide lost his hunting rifle and sustained serious injuries.

An ex-game hunter who was friendly with Dosio told the New York Post that the American and his guide could not spot the mammals as the view was blocked by a thick forest wall.

“Whilst in the forest, Ernie and his [guide] surprised five forest elephant cows with a calf. Feeling under threat, the elephants immediately attacked them,” said the ex-hunter.

Dosio’s body is now being repatriated by the US Embassy in Gabon to California, where he lived with his long-time wife, Betty and two sons, Jeff and Blake.

Dosio built his fortune as the owner of Pacific AgriLands Inc, a company managing 12,000 acres of vineyard land in Modesto, as well as offering services and equipment financing to wine producers.

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In August last year, another American millionaire named Asher Watkins was gored to death by a Cape buffalo during a hunting trip in South Africa. Watkins, 52, was pursuing a 1.3-tonne Cape buffalo bull in the 50,000-acre Bambisana concession on Sunday when the animal charged at him at 35mph.

The buffalo’s sudden attack on the hunters remains unexplained. However, locals call the Cape buffalo “Black Death” due to its deadly reputation, responsible for around 200 human deaths annually, making it a more significant threat to game hunters than lions, rhinos, or crocodiles.