{"id":2190872,"date":"2026-05-04T06:00:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T05:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/?p=2190872"},"modified":"2026-04-27T15:00:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T14:00:37","slug":"millionaire-big-game-hunter-75-is-trampled-to-death-by-herd-of-five-elephants-while-stalking-antelope-with-shotgun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/focusingonwildlife.com\/news\/millionaire-big-game-hunter-75-is-trampled-to-death-by-herd-of-five-elephants-while-stalking-antelope-with-shotgun\/","title":{"rendered":"Millionaire big-game hunter, 75, is trampled to death by herd of FIVE elephants while stalking antelope with shotgun"},"content":{"rendered":"

Armed with a shotgun and tracking a rare species of antelope, Ernie Dosio, 75, was killed after stumbling across the animals in dense vegetation in Gabon.<\/p>\n

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Ernie Dosio was killed after being trampled to death by a herd of elephants – Credit: wagonhoundoutfitters.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The legendary hunter has a vast collection of animals back home in California – Credit: Supplied to Jamie Pyatt News Ltd<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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He and his professional hunter stumbled across the elephants unexpectedly – Credit: bobbyhansensafaris.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The carcass collector had been moving through thick undergrowth with a professional hunter when the pair unknowingly walked into the herd.<\/p>\n

The animals were said to be so well hidden that it was like they appeared \u201cas if from nowhere\u201d.<\/p>\n

The startled beasts then charged at the pair without warning.<\/p>\n

Dosio was horrifically trampled under the weight of the herd as his companion was hurled to the side.<\/p>\n

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A retired game hunter who knew Dosio said: \u201cWhilst in the forest Ernie and his PH (professional hunter) surprised five forest elephant cows with young and feeling under threat the elephants immediately attacked them.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cThe professional hunter was attacked first and seriously injured losing his rifle which was knocked from him and lost in the undergrowth leaving Ernie with his shotgun.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would rather not go into details but it is safe to assume it would have been quick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Safari company Collect Africa confirmed their client died on April 18 after encountering the herd in central Gabon.<\/p>\n

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Dosio\u2019s body is now being repatriated to his home in California by the US embassy.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Gabon is home to around 60 per cent of the world\u2019s remaining forest elephants, with roughly 50,000 living deep within its dense forests.<\/p>\n

African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, weighing up to four tonnes and reaching speeds of up to 25mph.<\/p>\n

At the time of his death, Dosio was hunting a rare species of antelope and hoped to add the yellow-backed duiker to his extensive trophy collection.<\/p>\n

Tributes have since poured in for the father-of-two vineyard owner.<\/p>\n

The same retired hunter said: \u201cErnie was a very well-known and popular hunter in the US and in Africa and a very keen conservationist and he did a hell of a lot of charity work and was a really good guy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat happened has been deeply felt by many each side of the Atlantic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lodi Lodge secretary Tommy Whitman said in a statement: \u201cIt is with a most heavy heart and sadness that I am reporting the passing of Ernie Dosio.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay all of our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones.<\/p>\n

\u201cErnie always had his hand in his pocket and would help out those who needed it be it war veterans or handicapped or underprivileged kids.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe would never want recognition but he was always there with a loving heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe will be really missed around here and was one of the real good guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

A family friend said: \u201cErnie with his big moustache was larger than life but did not show it off.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was just a farmer and good old country boy who loved to hunt and fish. There\u2019s not many in the US today who would have a trophy collection to match Ernie\u2019s.7<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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Dosio has been on the trail of a rare breed of antelope – Credit: wagonhoundoutfitters.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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His body is now being repatriated to the US – Credit: wagonhoundoutfitters.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cThe news of his death in Africa was like a bomb going off.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the decades, Dosio had hunted some of the world\u2019s most dangerous animals, including elephants, lions and buffalo.<\/p>\n

Back home, he was also known for pursuing nearly every species of wild deer as part of his collection.<\/p>\n

This is not the first time a millionaire big game hunter has been killed.<\/p>\n

In August last year,\u00a0Asher Watkins was brutally gored to death by a buffalo\u00a0he was stalking with a guide in South Africa.<\/p>\n

The Cape Buffalo \u2013 known to hunters as Black Death \u2013 charged him from a blind spot, impaling him on one of its horns.<\/p>\n

The professional hunter desperately fought to save him but the area they were in was so remote he bled to death before help could arrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was beyond help except to load his body into the ambulance.\u00a0He had horrific injuries to his stomach and to his ribs,\u201d paramedics said.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was beyond help except to load his body into the ambulance.\u00a0 He had horrific injuries to his stomach and to his ribs.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was big buffalo and anything standing in the way of a charge would not survive.\u00a0 If left alone they are pretty tolerant but if you upset them it will not end well.<\/p>\n

Watkins was also a conservationist who believed hunting was a vital part of the preserving wildlife.<\/p>\n

In July last year, there was worldwide anger when a much-loved lion called Blondie was lured way from its reserve and shot dead by a trophy hunter.<\/p>\n

Delvy Workman, 48, was named and shamed as the man who pulled the trigger in Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n

The assassin posted a photograph of himself kneeling next the carcass with the caption: \u201cIf I killed a lion it would be my cover photo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Workman also posted pictures of himself posing next to kills during a hunting trip to Zimbabwe, including lions and zebras.<\/p>\n

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Blondie\u2019s death echoed the killing of Cecil the lion in 2015 who was lured away from safety and shot with a bow and arrow by a US dentist.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

American Walter Palmer reportedly paid a whopping \u00a350,000 to shoot and kill the animal.<\/p>\n

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Dosio has a strong reputation as a hunter on both sides of the Atlantic – Credit: bobbyhansensafaris.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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Tributes have poured in for the deceased hunter – Credit: Wagonhound Outfitters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
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This article<\/a> by Will Miller and Jamie Pyatt was first published by The Irish Sun on 24 April 2026.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

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