Ella Scott
Warning: This article contains images that some viewers made find distressing.
The family of a big game hunter who was killed by stampeding African elephants has broken their silence, revealing how they discovered the vineyard millionaire had died.
On April 17, 75-year-old Ernie Dosio headed into a rainforest in Gabon with his tour guide to hunt yellow-backed duiker, a shy antelope with a convex body shape and extremely short horns, as per the Jacksonville Zoo.
Dosio, a member of the hunting group California Wildfowl and a mainstay in the Sacramento Safari Club, was a regular animal hunter and apparently paid £30,000 ($40,600) to shoot with a borrowed shotgun.
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While out in the wilderness, the American and his guide from the safari company Collect Africa were chanced upon by five elephants and a calf.
The millionaire who had built an extensive collection of hunting trophies over the years was allegedly trampled by the herd, with Collect Africa confirming the death of its client.
Dosio’s ex-wife, Rinda Butler Dosio, has said that reports of her former husband’s death have been ‘exaggerated’.
“There's so many different things that are going around. Everything gets kind of exaggerated,” she told the Daily Mail.
“The day it happened we heard it was buffalos - and different crazy things. The lawyers got called before the family. There's just some things that just don't make sense.
“It's a huge shock. He was a big time hunter and it shouldn't have happened.”
Rinda alleged that another man had been killed in the incident. Collect Africa said that the professional hunter who accompanied Dosio into the wilderness had been injured.
Jeff Dosio, one of the man’s sons, claimed on Friday (24 April) that there would be more information set to emerge about what really happened.
“t hasn't been fun. It hasn't been fun at all. Whoever got all these pictures of our trophy room - I don't know how that came about at all,” he said, referring to a viral image of taxidermy animals at his father’s home.
“I want to set the record straight with my sincerity at the bottom of it and my statement.”
The US embassy in Gabon is currently in the process of shipping the father-of-two’s remains back to California.
Tributes have been shared online, including from one ex-hunter in Cape Town who called Dosio a ‘really good guy’.
The unnamed man told the Daily Mail: “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 were registered as conservation in culling animal numbers.
“Ernie had booked a hunt for dwarf forest buffalo and duikers, in particular the yellow-backed duiker, and, under strict licensing laws, he could not take along his own guns.”
The man continued, alleging that the vineyard tycoon was ‘very well-known and popular’ and a ‘a very keen conservationist’.
“He did a hell of a lot of charity work and was a really good guy. What happened has been deeply felt by many each side of the Atlantic.”
Ricky Gervais has received backlash for addressing Dosio’s death with an eight-word comment on social media.
The 64-year-old comedian, who became an ethical vegan in 2022 after years of being a vegetarian, re-shared an article about the game hunter’s demise and wrote: “The best thing is, they'll never forget it.”
One X user was quick to quip: “All y’all cheering for the death of a father of two on a legitimate hunt make me sick.”
“You should delete this Ricky. It displays your abject ignorance at wildlife conservation and is frankly ghoulish ffs,” alleged someone else.
A third, however, responded: “Dumb, dumb, dumb. Another mass murderer bites the dust.”
Tommy Whitman, who serves as the secretary of Lodi Lodge, situated in the heart of San Joaquin County's wine country, has penned a heartfelt tribute to Dosio.
“It is with a most heavy heart and sadness that I am reporting the passing of Ernio Dosio. May all of our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones,” he wrote.
“Ernie was Great Elk for 30 years and a pillar in our community who will be sorely missed.”
He added in a Facebook post: “Ernie always had his hand in his pocket and would help out those who needed it be it war veterans or handicapped or underprivileged kids.
“He would never want recognition but he was always there with a loving heart. Ernie’s passion was hunting and he spent much of his time either hunting here in the USA or in Africa and most of his trophies are on display at his own trophy rooms.
“He will be really missed around here and was one of the real good guys.”