An American millionaire big-game hunter, Ernie Dosio, 75, was crushed to death by a group of elephants while on a hunting expedition in Gabon. The incident occurred last Friday in the Lope-Okanda rainforest, where Dosio was hunting yellow-backed duiker, an antelope species.

Dosio, a vineyard owner from Lodi, California, and his guide unexpectedly encountered five female elephants accompanied by a calf. Safari operator Collect Africa confirmed the death, adding that the professional hunter guiding Dosio sustained serious injuries.

Dosio was a familiar name in the Sacramento Safari Club and had built an extensive collection of trophies, including elephants and lions. A retired hunter who knew him stated that all his hunts were strictly licensed and registered as conservation measures.

Dosio owned Pacific AgriLands Inc, managing 12,000 acres of vineyard land. The US embassy in Gabon is coordinating the return of his remains to California. Gabon's forests are home to approximately 95,000 forest elephants, an endangered species.

The trophy-hunting industry claims tens of thousands of wild animals annually. Legal hunting tours in Africa are popular among wealthy Americans, including Donald Trump Jr. The industry is worth millions, with estimates ranging from $68 million to $120 million in South Africa alone. During his first term, Donald Trump created a controversial wildlife advisory board that was later disbanded.

Source: www.theguardian.com