An American big game hunter is dead after a buffalo he was stalking in South Africa turned on him, delivering a fatal blow.
Texas ranch trader Asher Watkins, 52, was on a guided hunting safari on Aug. 3 in South Africa’s Limpopo province and had his sights set on a 1.3-ton Cape buffalo.
However, the hunter became the prey when the massive animal ambushed him, executing a deadly charge.
“Asher was fatally injured in a sudden and unprovoked attack by an unwounded buffalo,” Hans Vermaak wrote in a statement on CV Safaris’ website.
“He was tracking it together with one of our professional hunters and one of our trackers,” Vermaak continued.
“We are 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.”
Vermaak called the incident “deeply traumatic” for those who witnessed it and said that the other safari members and Watkins’ family “are understandably shaken.”
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“Our deepest condolences go out to Asher’s family, especially his mother Gwen, his daughter Savannah, his brother Amon, and stepfather Tony, and to all his loved ones and friends. The family are long-standing friends and part of the CVS family. We hold them close in our thoughts and prayers,” the statement continued.
The fate of the buffalo is unclear.
A warning on the CV Safari website notes the dangers of Cape buffaloes, whose only predators are humans and lions.
“No species on the planet has a more fearsome reputation than a Cape buffalo,” the statement reads, adding that the animals are “responsible for several deaths and many injuries to hunters each year.”
Watkins had a Facebook page dedicated to his love of hunting and outdoor pursuits and often shared photos posing with game catches, including deer, waterfowl and mountain lions.
Asher Watkins poses with a dead mountain lion in this undated photo shared to his Facebook page.
Asher Watkins / Facebook
He was a managing partner at Watkins Ranch Group, a commercial real estate company that sells luxury ranches, farms and land across the United States.
His company biography described him as someone who “spent the better part of his life in the outdoors and on ranches” and as a “proud and devoted father.”
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