The family of a millionaire big-game hunter, who met a tragic end after being trampled by elephants in Africa, has shared the unsettling manner in which they received news of his death.

Ernie Dosio’s former wife disclosed to the Daily Mail that the family’s attorneys were informed of his untimely demise before the family themselves had been notified.

At 75, Dosio, a prosperous vineyard owner from California and an experienced hunter, lost his life on April 17 after being attacked by a herd of elephants in the dense jungles of Gabon.

His enthusiasm for hunting has sparked significant controversy, with some critics openly expressing satisfaction over his death.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Jeff Dosio, one of Ernie’s sons, remarked that the narrative surrounding his father’s last moments has been “distorted” and hinted that further details might soon clarify the circumstances.

“It hasn’t been easy. Not at all,” Jeff shared on Friday evening. “I’m not sure how images of our trophy room got out. It’s baffling to me.”

‘I want to set the record straight with my sincerity at the bottom of it and my statement.’

Rinda Butler Dosio, Ernie’s ex-wife, described the confusion that gripped the family in the immediate hours after the fatal encounter and claimed another man had also been killed, although reports from the tour company state he was injured.

Californian vineyard owner Ernie Dosio, 75, was ambushed and killed by five elephants whilst hunting in Africa

His son Jeff Dosio, said the story surrounding his father’s death had been ‘twisted’ and expressed frustration over how details and images were shared publicly

‘There’s so many different things that are going around. Everything gets kind of exaggerated,’ she said.

‘The day it happened we heard it was buffalos – and different crazy things. 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 was killed.’

Her remarks underscore the chaos that surrounded the initial reports, as details trickled out from the remote hunting grounds of central Africa.

According to officials and hunting company statements, Dosio had been on a $40,000 guided expedition in the Lopé-Okanda rainforest, tracking a rare yellow-backed duiker, a shy forest antelope. 

He was accompanied by a professional hunter when the pair unexpectedly encountered a group of five female forest elephants with a calf.

Hidden by dense vegetation, the elephants appeared ‘as if from nowhere,’ according to a retired game hunter familiar with the incident. Feeling threatened, the herd charged immediately.

The professional hunter was struck first, seriously injured and separated from his rifle. That left Dosio, armed only with a shotgun intended for smaller game, exposed in the thick undergrowth.

His ex-wife, Rinda Butler Dosio, said the family initially received conflicting and inaccurate reports about how he died, describing the situation as a ‘huge shock’

Dosio was killed on April 17 while on a guided hunting trip in Gabon, Central Africa

He was knocked down and trampled underfoot.

‘I would rather not go into detail, but it is safe to assume it would have been quick,’ the hunter said.

The safari company, Collect Africa, confirmed in a statement that a client had been killed during the encounter and that the professional hunter had been injured.

The setting of his final hunt remains one of the most unforgiving environments on earth. 

Known as ‘Africa’s last Eden,’ the country is covered by dense forest and is home to an estimated 60 percent of the world’s remaining forest elephants – powerful, elusive animals capable of charging at speeds of up to 25 mph.

The US Embassy in Gabon is now overseeing the repatriation of Dosio’s body back to California.

The brutal irony of the death has not gone unnoticed. Dosio had spent decades hunting across Africa and the United States, pursuing some of the world’s most dangerous animals – including elephants, lions, rhinos, and buffalo. 

Back home, his trophy rooms displayed dozens of mounted animals, from exotic African species to North American deer and wildfowl.

Dosio has hunted almost every species of wild deer and owns a vast collection of exotic animal heads in trophy rooms at home

Dosio was a mainstay in the Sacramento Safari Club and a life member of hunting group California Wildfowl and on the board of the local Lodi Winegrape Commission

Ricky Gervais sparked backlash after posting on X about Dosio’s death by elephants tweeting: ‘The best thing is, they’ll never forget it.’

His comment drew criticism online, with users calling it ‘ghoulish’ and accusing him of showing ignorance about big-game hunting and conservation

Yet those who knew him insist his hunting was legal and tied to conservation efforts.

‘All Ernie’s hunts were strictly licensed and above board and were registered as conservation in culling animal numbers,’ said one retired hunter.

The circumstances of his death have sparked fierce debate online.

Comedian Ricky Gervais drew backlash after posting a joke about his death on X: ‘The best thing is, they’ll never forget it.’

The remark was quickly condemned by critics.

‘You should delete this Ricky. It displays your abject ignorance at wildlife conservation and is frankly ghoulish ffs,’ one user responded.

Another wrote: ‘The uninformed morons cheering on this conservationist’s death are the same people who celebrate assassinations of people who have differing opinions than their own. 

‘Truly disgusting individuals. Educate yourselves on how big game hunting works. They’re controlling populations.’

The US Embassy in Gabon is assisting with the repatriation of Dosio’s body to California

Those closest to Dosio paint a far more personal picture of the man behind the headlines.

A father of two, he built a successful agricultural empire as owner of Pacific AgriLands, managing a 12,000-acre vineyard operation in Modesto and supporting a region responsible for roughly 40 percent of California’s wine production. 

His son Jeff now serves as president of the company, while his other son, Blake, is also involved in the business.

Dosio was also deeply embedded in his local community. He served as a board member of the Lodi Winegrape Commission, a life member of California Wildfowl, and a prominent figure in the Sacramento Safari Club.

For decades, he held the title of Great Elk in the California Central District Elks, a nationwide charitable organization.

‘It is with a most heavy heart and sadness that I am reporting the passing of Ernie Dosio,’ Lodi Lodge secretary Tommy Whitman wrote in a Facebook tribute. 

‘May all of our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and loved ones.’

Whitman later added: ‘Ernie always had his hand in his pocket and would help out those who needed it. He would never want recognition but he was always there with a loving heart.’

Friends described him as ‘larger than life,’ yet grounded, a man who preferred farming and hunting to luxury, despite his wealth.

The Daily Mail has contacted the State Department for comment.