The American Ernie Dosio, a 75-year-old millionaire known for his history of hunting large animals in Africa, died in Gabon after being attacked by a herd of five female elephants with a calf. The incident occurred in the tropical forest of Lope-Okanda, while participating in an antelope hunting expedition for which he had paid $40,000.
Dosio, owner of a vineyard in California and a collector of hunting trophies, had previously hunted elephants, leopards, rhinos, buffaloes, and lions. The attack was sudden: the animals emerged from the underbrush and charged at the group. The professional hunter accompanying him was seriously injured, while Dosio died instantly.
Although he was considered a “popular and enthusiastic conservationist” by his colleagues, his activity as a trophy hunter placed him at the center of a global debate on elephant hunting in Africa.
The Controversy of Trophy Hunting
Dosio’s death reignites the discussion on the management of African wildlife:
- Botswana and Sovereignty: with the largest elephant population in the world, it reopened regulated hunting and accuses the West of “paternalism” for questioning its policies.
- Arguments in Favor: hunting generates income (up to $50,000 per specimen), employs local communities, and reduces human-elephant conflicts.
- Arguments Against: international organizations denounce that wildlife is killed for commercial purposes, affecting the social structure of herds and reducing populations.
- Germany-Botswana Conflict: Germany suggested banning the import of trophies, prompting a threat from Botswana’s president to send 20,000 elephants to the European country.
- Poaching vs. Legal Hunting: Ivory poaching remains the greatest threat, with about 17,000 elephants killed annually, differentiating it from regulated hunting in countries like Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Namibia.
A Coexistence Conflict
In regions like the Okavango Delta, the growing elephant population competes for resources with local communities, generating tensions. Legal hunting often focuses on old and large male specimens, while critics argue that even this practice alters the social dynamics of herds.
The death of Ernie Dosio exposes the complexity of the debate on trophy hunting in Africa. For some countries, it is a management tool and source of income; for conservationists, a practice that threatens biodiversity and the ethics of conservation.
The case reminds us that the relationship between humans and elephants remains one of the most intense dilemmas of global conservation.
