California Hunter Dies in Elephant Attack in Gabon

Ernie Dosio, a 75-year-old California vineyard owner and experienced big-game hunter, died after being trampled by a group of elephants during a licensed hunting expedition in Gabon's Lope-Okanda rainforest on April 17.

Dosio, who was pursuing a yellow-backed duiker, a small forest antelope, encountered five female elephants and a calf hidden in dense undergrowth. According to accounts from those familiar with the incident, the animals charged when startled by the hunters' presence. Dosio's professional guide was struck first, sustaining serious injuries and losing his rifle in the thick vegetation. Left with only a shotgun, Dosio was then attacked and killed in the sudden assault. The guide survived and received medical treatment, as confirmed by safari operator Collect Africa, which organized the trip.

The company issued a brief statement noting that the encounter occurred while the pair hunted for the duiker in central Gabon, and that arrangements for Dosio's remains were being handled by his family and the U.S. Embassy in Gabon. Officials at the embassy are coordinating the repatriation of his body to Lodi, California, where he resided.

Dosio owned Pacific AgriLands Inc., a...