A 52-year-old American hunter has died after being attacked by a Cape buffalo during a hunting expedition in South Africa. Asher Watkins, from Texas, was tracking the animal in the Limpopo province on 3 August when the buffalo suddenly charged, according to the safari company that organised the trip.
Coenraad Vermaak Safaris (CV Safaris) confirmed the incident in a statement, describing it as a “sudden and unprovoked attack by an unwounded buffalo”. The company said Watkins was accompanied by a professional hunter and a tracker at the time of the attack. The buffalo, weighing 1.3 tons, reportedly charged at a speed of 35 mph (56 km/h).
Watkins’s ex-wife, Courtney, confirmed his death on social media, describing it as a “tragic accident”. His brother, mother and stepfather were waiting for him at the safari lodge when the incident occurred. CV Safaris said it was supporting the family and had been in contact with Watkins’s teenage daughter.
Watkins was a managing partner at Watkins Ranch Group, affiliated with Briggs Freeman and LIV Sotheby’s International Realty. A Baylor University graduate, he was described in his company biography as a “proud and devoted father” who spent much of his life outdoors. His Facebook page featured photos of him posing with animals he had killed, including deer and mountain lions.
CV Safaris’s website warns that Cape buffaloes are “responsible for several deaths and many injuries to hunters each year”, noting that “no species on the planet has a more fearsome reputation”. The company expressed deep sadness over the loss of their “client and friend”.
