A millionaire US big game hunter, Ernie Dosio, 75, was killed by five elephants while hunting a yellow-backed duiker in Gabon, according to a report from the Lodi News-Sentinel. Dosio, a Californian vineyard owner with a collection of exotic animal heads, was guided by a professional hunter in the Lope area on a hunt that cost £30,000. He had previously hunted elephants, leopard, rhino, buffalo, and lion across Africa. The incident occurred when the hunting party stumbled into a herd of five female elephants with a calf. The elephants charged, and the professional hunter was seriously injured and lost his rifle. Dosio was trampled to death. His body is being repatriated by the US Embassy in Gabon to Lodi, California.
In South Africa, a safari park owner named Gary Freeman, 65, was killed by a charging elephant on April 9, according to multiple reports. Freeman was co-owner of the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve and was leading a group of tourists on a guided hike when the elephant attacked. He brandished his revolver to scare the elephant but did not fire. Police in Limpopo Province have opened an inquest into Freeman's death. No action has been taken against the elephant, but experts are studying its behavior. According to Freeman's friend Judy Connors, Freeman had expressed a deep respect for elephants and said he would rather be killed by an elephant than shoot one.
In the past we have heard Gary speak of his deep respect and love for the elephants. He said he would rather be killed by an elephant than shoot one. Perhaps this is what I want to believe but there must have been a special bond, soul-to-soul, for this elephant to be the chosen one tasked with his deliverance.
A British tourist named Janet Taylor Easton, 67, was trampled to death by an elephant in Zambia on July 3, according to multiple reports. She died alongside her cousin Alison Taylor, 67, from New Zealand. The incident occurred at South Luangwa National Park. The death was recorded as misadventure following an inquest. The inquest heard that the guide saw a female elephant with a younger elephant in the distance, and the tracker saw the elephant charging from behind. The scout fired a warning shot but the elephant did not stop. The cause of death was traumatic thoracic injuries and elephant attack.