Big-Game Hunter Dies in Gabon After Elephant Encounter

big-game hunter dies in Gabon elephant encounter

Ernie Dosio, a ↓ 75-year-old American vineyard owner, was on a hunting trip for yellow-backed duiker when a herd of ↓ 5 female elephants and a calf appeared in the Lope-Okanda rainforest. The sudden proximity led the massive mammals to crush the hunter, and he died on site.

The incident, reported by Reuters, underscores the growing risks of trophy hunting in Africa’s protected zones.

Background on the hunt

Dosio, who had financed several private reserves in California, paid a premium to a local outfitter for a guided chase of the elusive antelope. Guides say the party was unaware that the herd’s matriarchal group was moving through the same clearing.

“Such encounters are rare, but when they happen the outcome can be fatal,” said a wildlife official in Gabon.

Conservationists argue that the tragedy adds fuel to the debate over the ethics and safety of big-game hunting tourism.

Dispatch from: Julian Vance

Senior Global Security Correspondent