Overview
- Ernie Dosio, a 75-year-old California vineyard owner, was killed on April 17 in Gabon’s Lope rainforest during a licensed stalk for a yellow-backed duiker.
- Safari operator Collect Africa confirmed the death and said the party encountered five female forest elephants with a calf that charged after being surprised in thick brush.
- The professional guide survived with serious injuries and is receiving treatment, according to the company.
- The US Embassy in Gabon is coordinating the repatriation of Dosio’s body to Lodi, California, in consultation with his family.
- Hunting contacts reported that duiker permits often limit clients to a shotgun, a rule that can leave little stopping power in close, low-visibility rainforest encounters.