An American game hunter was killed by a buffalo he was stalking during a hunting expedition in South Africa over the weekend, according to multiple reports.
Asher Watkins, 52, of Texas, died on 3 August while tracking a 1.3-ton Cape buffalo in South Africa’s Limpopo province, according to a statement from Coenraad Vermaak Safaris (CV Safaris), the company that organized the hunting trip.
“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts we confirm the tragic death of our client and friend Asher Watkins from the USA,” CV Safaris said in the statement, obtained by the Metro new outlet and other publications.
“On Sunday 3rd August, while on a hunting safari with us in South Africa’s Limpopo Province, Asher was fatally injured in a sudden and unprovoked attack by an unwounded buffalo he was tracking together with one of our professional hunters and one of our trackers,” the statement adds.
According to Metro, the buffalo suddenly charged at Watkins at 35 mph (56 km/h).
“This is a devastating incident, and our hearts go out to his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time,” the company said, adding that it is “doing everything we can to support the family members who are here with us and those back in the United States as they navigate this tragic loss”.
Metro reported that Watkins’ brother Amon, mother Gwen and stepfather Tony were waiting for him at the safari lodge when the incident occurred, and CV Safaris also said it was in touch with Watkins’s teenage daughter, Savannah, and his ex-wife, Courtney.
A warning on the CV Safari website notes the dangers of Cape buffaloes.
“No species on the planet has a more fearsome reputation than a Cape buffalo,” the statement reads, adding that the buffaloes are “responsible for several deaths and many injuries to hunters each year”.
Watkins’s ex-wife also reportedly confirmed his death on social media, according to People magazine, writing that Watkins died on Sunday “suddenly in a tragic accident involving a Cape buffalo while on a hunting trip in South Africa”.
“It’s a reality that’s still hard to put into words,” she added. “Our hearts are heavy as we navigate the days ahead, especially for Savannah as she grieves her dad.”
A Texas native and Baylor University graduate, Watkins was a managing partner at Watkins Ranch Group, affiliated with Briggs Freeman and LIV Sotheby’s International Realty.
His company biography described him as someone who “spent the better part of his life in the outdoors and on ranches” and a “proud and devoted father”.
Watkins had a Facebook page where he shared hunting photos, often posing beside animals he had killed, including deer and mountain lions.
