The grieving family of a millionaire big-game hunter trampled to death by elephants in Africa has revealed the chaotic way they learned of how he died.
Ernie Dosio's ex-wife told the Daily Mail the family's lawyers were told about the death before relatives themselves.
Mr Dosio, 75, a wealthy California vineyard owner and veteran hunter, was killed on April 17 after being charged and crushed by a herd of elephants deep in Gabon's rainforest.
His passion for hunting has since come under intense scrutiny, with some critics rejoicing in his death.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, one of his sons Jeff Dosio said the story of his final moments has been 'twisted' - and suggested more information is set to emerge about what really happened.
Jeff said on Friday night: 'It hasn't been fun. It hasn't been fun at all. Whoever got all these pictures of our trophy room - I don't know how that came about at all.
'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 the death of his father (pictured) 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.'
According to officials and hunting company statements, Mr 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 - and that left Mr Dosio, armed only with a shotgun intended for smaller game, exposed in the thick undergrowth.
Ernie Dosio's 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'
Mr 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 professional 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 Mr Dosio's 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 per cent of the world's remaining forest elephants which are capable of charging at speeds of up to 25mph.
The US Embassy in Gabon is now overseeing the repatriation of Mr Dosio's body back to California.
Mr Dosio had spent decades hunting across Africa and the US, 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.
Ernie Dosio has hunted almost every species of wild deer and owns a vast collection of exotic animal heads in trophy rooms at home
He 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
People close to him insisted 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.
Yet the circumstances of his death have sparked fierce debate online.
Comedian Ricky Gervais posted a joke about his death on X: 'The best thing is, they'll never forget it.'
The remark was quickly condemned by critics, with one poster replying: 'You should delete this Ricky. It displays your abject ignorance at wildlife conservation and is frankly ghoulish ffs.'
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.'
Mr Dosio was a father of two who 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 about 40 per cent of California's wine production.
Ricky Gervais sparked some backlash after posting on X about Ernie 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
The US Embassy in Gabon is assisting with the repatriation of Ernie Dosio's body to California
His son Jeff now serves as president of the company, while his other son Blake is also involved in the business.
Mr 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.
