Video Cooling off: Baby elephant drops and rolls in mud bath at zoo
Tula-Tu, a four-month-old Asian elephant at the Oregon Zoo, was captured on film enjoying a mud puddle near her mother, Rose-Tu, in early June. Tula-Tu, born in February, has garnered significant attention, which authorities believe is advantageous for the preservation initiatives concerning Asian elephants in their natural habitats.
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A proprietor of a California vineyard has perished after being crushed by elephants during a hunting expedition in Africa.
Ernie Dosio, aged 75, was engaged in hunting yellow-backed duikers in Gabon when the fatal occurrence on April 17 transpired.
Dosio, who possessed a substantial assortment of animal trophies at his residence, was trampled to death when he and his guide unexpectedly encountered five female elephants with a young one in the Lope-Okanda rainforest, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Collect Africa, the safari organizer based in Nigeria, verified Dosio’s demise to the publication. The California-Hawaii Elks Association also confirmed Dosio’s passing via Facebook.
Elephants are observed at the periphery of the forest in Pongara National Park, close to Libreville, Gabon. Ernie Dosio, a big-game hunter, reportedly died last week after being crushed by elephants while hunting in Gabon. (Christophe Van Der Perre/Reuters)
“It is with profound sorrow and deep sadness that I announce the passing of Ernie Dosio earlier this week,” stated Tommy Whitman, secretary of Lodi Lodge 1900 and Central District Scouting chairman. “May our collective thoughts and prayers be with his family and those dear to him. He will be greatly missed.”
Fox News Digital has sought comment from the U.S. Embassy in Gabon and the safari firm.
An unidentified hunter in Cape Town, acquainted with Dosio, informed the news outlet that Dosio had been “hunting since he was capable of holding a rifle and had acquired numerous trophies from Africa and the U.S.”
Elephants are visible through dense foliage in a forest within Pongara National Park near Libreville, Gabon. (Christophe Van Der Perre/Reuters)
“While many may disapprove of big-game hunting, all of Ernie’s hunts were conducted strictly under license and in accordance with regulations, documented as conservation culls to manage animal populations,” he explained. “Ernie had arranged a hunt for dwarf forest buffalo and duikers—specifically, the yellow-backed duiker—and, under stringent licensing stipulations, he was prohibited from bringing his own firearms.”
The hunting enterprise was stipulated to provide a shotgun and ammunition for the duiker hunt, he added.
The hunter further suggested that Dosio and his guide likely startled the elephants, prompting an aggressive response due to perceived danger.
A forest elephant ambles through an open area in Gamba, Gabon.
“I would prefer not to elaborate, but it is reasonable to surmise that the event was swift,” he commented. “Ernie was a highly recognized and respected hunter in both the U.S. and Africa, and a dedicated conservationist; he contributed significantly to charitable causes and was a genuinely good person. The impact of this incident has been profoundly felt by many on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Dosio’s remains are being transported back to America with support from the U.S. Embassy.
Dosio was the owner of Pacific AgriLands Inc., a vineyard land management company based in Modesto, California, which operated its own 12,000-acre vineyard, according to Lodi News.
Central Africa is home to approximately 95,000 endangered forest elephants, with the highest populations located in Gabon, according to the World Wildlife Fund.