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Story perspectives

75-Year-Old Hunter Killed by Gabon Forest Elephants

4/25/2026

33 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Ernie Dosio, a 75-year-old vineyard owner, was trampled to death during a charge by forest elephants in Gabon's Lope-Okanda rainforest.
He was on a $40,000 yellow-backed duiker hunt when the group encountered five elephants.
Collect Africa said the guide was seriously injured and lost his rifle after the encounter.
The U.S. Embassy in Gabon is repatriating Dosio’s body to Lodi, California, while officials note Gabon hosts 50,000 forest elephants.

History

Historical Context

Ernie Dosio’s 2024 death during a $40,000 duiker hunt in Gabon underscores the legacy of the 1989 CITES ban that moved the African elephant to Appendix I, reducing the continent’s population to about 600,000 that year. The ban’s impact endures as central-African elephant numbers keep declining and governments seek tighter hunting regulations.

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Story summary

Ernie Dosio, a 75-year-old vineyard owner, was trampled to death during a charge by forest elephants in Gabon's Lope-Okanda rainforest.
He was on a $40,000 yellow-backed duiker hunt when the group encountered five elephants.
Collect Africa said the guide was seriously injured and lost his rifle after the encounter.
The U.S. Embassy in Gabon is repatriating Dosio’s body to Lodi, California, while officials note Gabon hosts 50,000 forest elephants.

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