US Millionaire Trampled to Death by Elephant While Hunting in Africa

Hunting Tours Remain Popular Among the Wealthy

A man from California, United States, died after being attacked by an elephant while hunting an antelope in Africa.

Ernie Tosio (75) taking a commemorative photo with a hunted lion. He died after being trampled by an elephant while hunting an antelope in Africa. Photo captured from Facebook.

According to international media outlets such as The Guardian on April 24 (local time), Ernie Tosio (75), who runs a vineyard and a financial company in California, paid 50,000 dollars (approximately 59 million won) to hunt a yellow-backed duiker, a type of antelope. On April 17, he traveled to Gabon, a Central African country, with a professional hunter.

While searching for game in the Lopé-Okanda rainforest, Tosio encountered five female elephants with calves. Startled by the presence of people, the herd of elephants immediately charged at Tosio and his companions. The professional hunter was able to escape by being thrown aside by the elephants, but Tosio was trampled and killed. Currently, the U.S. embassy is working with authorities in Gabon to arrange the repatriation of his body to the United States.

Tosio was known for his passion for hunting, to the extent that he had a private banquet room displaying hundreds of taxidermied animals, including elephants, rhinoceroses, bears, lions, and crocodiles. It was also reported that he had hunted nearly every species of male deer found in the United States, including elk and moose.

A hunter who knew Tosio explained, "He had been hunting since he was able to hold a gun and had collected numerous trophies in both Africa and the United States," adding, "Although there is controversy over big-game hunting, all his hunts were conducted with proper legal permits and for conservation purposes such as population control."

Meanwhile, Gabon, with about 88% of its territory covered by forest, is nicknamed "the last Eden of Africa." It is a major habitat for the endangered forest elephant, with approximately 95,000 individuals, accounting for a significant proportion of the global population.

Additionally, this legal hunting tour in Africa is popular among some wealthy individuals, such as Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of U.S. President Donald Trump. Tens of thousands of wild animals are killed each year through these hunting tours. Donald Trump Jr. himself sparked controversy over a decade ago with a photo of him holding a severed elephant tail.

During President Trump's first term, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) argued that hunting was actually the only way to conserve animals threatened with extinction. However, amid fierce opposition from those advocating for wildlife protection, President Trump described hunting as a "horrible show."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.