American Millionaire Trampled to Death by Elephant Herd in Africa, Leaving Only Dismembered Remains
On the 17th of this month, in the Lope-Okanda rainforest of Gabon, Africa, 75-year-old Californian millionaire and vineyard owner Ernie Duclos was trampled to death by a herd of five female elephants during a private hunting trip worth $38,000. His body was left as a gruesome mass of shattered limbs and flesh.
Duclos had planned to hunt the rare yellow-backed duiker, but unexpectedly stumbled upon a herd of mother elephants protecting their young in the dense rainforest. These forest elephants, reaching a shoulder height of up to 3.6 meters and weighing nearly 4 tons, are highly aggressive, especially when protecting their calves.
Despite being equipped with a professional guide and a small-caliber shotgun, the hunting party was powerless against the sudden charge of the elephant herd. The guide was instantly knocked over and seriously injured, while Duclos was repeatedly attacked and trampled by the five elephants, being crushed to death in just a few minutes. The scene was horrific.
Duclos was a well-known vineyard owner in the Lodi area of California and a passionate big game hunter. Throughout his life, he traveled across the African continent, hunting numerous rare animals such as lions, rhinos, leopards, and buffalo, and his home trophy room was filled with various animal head trophies.
He had participated in dozens of hunting expeditions across Africa and was considered an "experienced hunter" within the community, but ultimately met the most tragic end at the feet of the animals he had pursued his entire life.
Experts point out that while forest elephants are not as well-known as savanna elephants, they are extremely aggressive when protecting their young, and the rainforest environment makes it difficult for humans to detect elephant herds in advance, making them very dangerous.
It is worth noting that similar tragedies are constantly occurring. Just a week before Duclos's death, another wildlife park owner in South Africa was also trampled to death by an elephant.