Warning: This article contains images that some viewers made find distressing.
The family of a millionaire game hunter who was trampled to death by elephants say 'things just don't make sense' about his death.
Reports claimed last week that Ernie Dosio, a wealthy vineyard owner from California, was ambushed in a rainforest in Gabon on Friday (17 April).
The 75-year-old had allegedly spent a fee in the area of £30,000 to stalk antelopes in the central African country, specifically in search of forest-dwelling yellow-backed duiker.
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Social media images show Dosio alongside animals that he has killed, while his home is also said to be home to a number of 'trophies', including the heads of an elephant, rhino, bear, buffalo, crocodile, lion, zebra and leopard on display in his home.
They say that elephants never forget, and unfortunately for the hunter, he was shocked by a herd of five female African elephants and a calf after they emerged from the foliage of the forest. Feeling threatened, they seemingly took no issue with trampling Dosio to death.
A retired game hunter based in Cape Town, who is said to know Dosio, shared some details of the horror trampling with the Daily Mail.
"Whilst in the forest, Ernie and his PH (professional hunter) surprised five forest elephant cows with a calf," they told the publication. "Feeling under threat, the elephants immediately attacked them."
However, his family have now seemingly disputed what has previously been reported, suggesting that it 'shouldn't have happened'.
“The day it happened, we heard it was buffalo — and different crazy things,” Rinda Butler Dose, Ernie's ex-wife, told the Daily Mail. “The lawyers got called before the family. There's just some things that just don't make sense.”
“It's a huge shock. He was a big-time hunter, and it shouldn't have happened. He and another man [were] killed,” she added.
Although many have hit out at the hunter after his death, friends of the millionaire have defended his actions, suggesting that everything was above board.
One friend said: "Ernie has been hunting since he could hold a rifle and has many trophies from Africa and the US.
"Although many disagree with big-game hunting, all Ernie's hunts were strictly licensed and above board and were registered as conservation in culling animal numbers."
Ernie's son Jeff suggested that the narrative has also been 'twisted' after publications shared images of the family's 'trophy room', something he said 'hasn't been fun at all'.
Collect Africa, who organised the hunting trip, confirmed that a client had been killed after a deadly encounter with elephants, while the U.S. Embassy in Gabon is also working with the family to send his body back to America.
James Moorhouse