Millionaire Texas game hunter fatally gored by buffalo he was stalking
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A big game hunter from Texas was ambushed and gored to death by a buffalo he was stalking during a hunting trip in South Africa.
Asher Watkins, 52, a millionaire ranch realtor, was tracking a 1.3-ton Cape buffalo in Limpopo on Sunday when the beast charged at him, killing him instantly, trip organizer Coenraad Vermaak Safaris confirmed to multiple outlets.
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The buffalo was not wounded, the safari noted.
“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we confirm the tragic death of our client and friend Asher Watkins from the USA,” Coenraad Vermaak Safaris said in a statement obtained by the Daily Mail.
“He was tracking it together with one of our professional hunters and one of our trackers,” the company continued.
“This is a devastating incident, and our hearts go out to his loved ones.”
The company added: “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.”
Watkins’ mother, Gwen, stepfather Tony, and brother Amon were waiting for him at a safari lodge when the brutal attack unfolded, the Mail reported.
His ex-wife, Courtney, and their teenage daughter, Savannah, were also notified of his tragic death.
“He spent every spare moment he could with Savannah and shared his life with her, and nobody could love a daughter more than he did,” a sourced told the outlet.
“She will be broken to lose Asher, who was her best friend as well as her dad.”
Watkins Ranch Group is a brokerage company that sells multimillion-dollar ranches in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, according to the company’s website.
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He was raised in Dallas, where he worked on his family’s hunting and cattle ranch, according to his company biography.
The affluent rancher’s social media was filled with photos of dead mountain lion, deer and wildfowl.
Watkins long believed hunting was a vital part of preserving wildlife.
Cape buffalo, also known as the “Black Death,” can weight more than 2,000 pounds and reach a height of 5.5 feet at the shoulder, wildlife experts say.
They are responsible for about 200 deaths in Africa a year, and known to kill more game hunters than any other animal, including elephants, lions, rhinos or crocodiles.
The Mail reported that authorities are believed to have opened an inquest into Watkins’ death.
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