A 75-year-old Lodi grape grower was killed by a charging herd of elephants while on a guided hunting trip in Central Africa.
Ernie Dosio was tracking a species of antelope in Gabon’s Lopé region on April 17 when the elephants suddenly charged through dense brush and trampled him to death.
The Lope-Okanda area is home to an estimated 95,000 elephants, which can reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.
Dosio owned Pacific Agrilands, a 12,000-acre vineyard operation based in Modesto. Friends said he was an experienced big-game hunter who had made multiple trips to Africa over the years.
Robert Deitz, a friend from the Sacramento Safari Club, described the sudden danger of such encounters.
“When you’re just walking along and all of a sudden there’s a bull elephant in front of you, and their ears flare out,” Deitz said to KCRA.
Dosio was known for his humanitarian work supporting children and communities in the regions he visited. Deitz pointed to years of efforts tied to those expeditions, and said they received thank you letters from kids in the regions they helped.
“Thousands of letters of thank you that we’ve received over the years from all of the kids,” Deitz told to KCRA.
Longtime friend Dax McCarty remembered Dosio’s generosity toward those around him.
“Ernie is one of the most generous, helpful guys I’ve been around,” McCarty said to KCRA.
McCarty added that Dosio had sent him a text wishing him a happy anniversary the day before the trip.