The family of Ernie Dosio, a wealthy California vineyard owner who died after a violent encounter with elephants in Gabon, is speaking out following his death — and says the details surrounding the incident remain unclear.
Dosio, 75, was on a high-end hunting trip in the Lopé-Okanda rainforest when a herd of elephants charged, killing him and seriously injuring his professional guide, according to safari operator Collect Africa.
The fatal encounter unfolded on Friday, April 17.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, his ex-wife, Rinda Butler Dosio, said the family initially received conflicting information about what happened.
“The day it happened, we heard it was buffalo — and different crazy things,” she said. “The lawyers got called before the family. There’s just some things that just don’t make sense.”
She added:
“It’s a huge shock. He was a big-time hunter, and it shouldn’t have happened. He and another man [were] killed.”
Reports indicate Ernie Dosio had paid around $40,000 for a guided hunting expedition in the Lopé-Okanda rainforest in Gabon, where he was tracking a rare yellow-backed duiker, a forest-dwelling antelope.
He was accompanied by a professional hunter when the pair unexpectedly came across a group of five female forest elephants and a calf. Concealed by dense vegetation, the animals appeared “as if from nowhere,” according to a retired game hunter familiar with the incident.
Feeling threatened, the herd charged almost immediately.
The guide was struck first, suffering serious injuries and becoming separated from his rifle. That left Dosio — carrying only a shotgun meant for smaller game — dangerously exposed in the thick undergrowth.
Following his death, photos of Dosio’s extensive trophy collection, including mounted heads of animals such as elephants, lions, and rhinos, circulated online, sparking backlash.
Ricky Gervais also weighed in on the news, posting a controversial joke on X:
“The best thing is, they’ll never forget it.”
The comment quickly sparked backlash online, with critics calling it insensitive.
One user responded: “You should delete this Ricky. It displays your abject ignorance at wildlife conservation and is frankly ghoulish ffs.”
Another added: “The uninformed morons cheering on this conservationist’s death are the same people who celebrate assassinations of people who have differing opinions than their own.
Truly disgusting individuals. Educate yourselves on how big game hunting works. They’re controlling populations.”
Dosio’s son, Jeff Dosio, says the portrayal of his father has been unfair.
“It hasn’t been fun. It hasn’t been fun at all,” he said, adding that the narrative around his father has been “twisted.”
A longtime friend also defended Dosio, saying his hunting activities were legal and conducted under conservation guidelines.
“All Ernie’s hunts were strictly licensed and above board and were registered as conservation in culling animal numbers.”
Authorities are now working to return Dosio’s body to California, with assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Gabon.
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