Ernie Dosio, a 75-year-old millionaire from California and owner of Pacific AgriLands winery, died on Friday after being trampled by five forest elephants in Gabon. Dosio was in the middle of a $40,000 hunting expedition in the rainforest, targeting a yellow-backed duiker, when the incident occurred.

Dosio and his professional guide were moving through thick vegetation when they encountered a group of five female elephants and a calf.

Reports indicate the animals felt threatened and charged. A thick wall of forest blocked the hunters’ view, preventing them from seeing the animals until the stampede began.

The elephants reportedly pushed the guide aside before trampling Dosio. The guide sustained serious injuries and lost his rifle during the attack, while Dosio, who was armed only with a shotgun, died at the scene.

An acquaintance from the Cape Town hunting community stated, “It is safe to assume that it would have been quick.”

Dosio was a frequent big-game hunter with a trophy room in his Modesto home containing heads of elephants, rhinos, lions, and leopards.

The internet, which shares a particular dislike of trophy hunters, was quick to rejoice. Social media platforms were flooded with celebratory reactions as users framed the incident as “karma,” with one person stating the man “got what he deserved.” The sentiment focused heavily on the elephants’ right to self-defense, with commenters extending “congratulations” to the animals and noting they “stand with the elephants” for fighting back against those seeking to kill for sport.

Others highlighted their disdain for trophy hunting, calling the practice a “crime” and remarking that it was “hard to feel sorry” for the millionaire. Some reactions even suggested the elephants should display the man’s remains as a trophy to mirror his own habit of hanging animal heads on walls. Users also expressed concern for the animals’ welfare, hoping no elephants were injured during the encounter.

The US Embassy in Gabon is currently working to repatriate Dosio’s body to Lodi, California, where he lived with his wife, Betty. He is survived by his two sons, Jeff and Blake.

Gabon contains roughly 95,000 forest elephants, representing two-thirds of the world’s remaining population.