An American game hunter was gored to death by a buffalo he was stalking after it ambushed him in South Africa
Millionaire ranch trader Asher Watkins, 52, was out on safari with a professional hunter and an animal tracker on the trail of a prized 1.3-ton specimen bull last Sunday.
The huge beast charged him at 35mph, slamming into him and killing him almost instantly.
But from the thick bush, without warning, Africa’s most dangerous animal charged out at 35mph and left the hunter with no chance as it slammed into and killed him almost instantly.
It is not known if the team from Coenraad Vermaak Safaris, guiding their client on the estimated £7,500 hunt, shot the buffalo dead or if it escaped back to its nearby herd.
The keen conservationist believed hunting was a vital part of preserving wildlife. He has photos on his social media with a dead mountain lion, many deer and hundreds of wildfowl.
He also boasts of killing thousands of doves in just three days with 7 pals in Argentina.
Although it is believed it had not yet been shot and was unwounded, the increasingly agitated bull turned on the hunter and launched a fatal attack as he closed in on it.
Millionaire ranch trader Asher Watkins, 52, was out on safari with a professional hunter and an animal tracker on the trail of a prized 1.3-ton specimen bull last Sunday
The dangerous animal charged out at 35mph and left the hunter with no chance as it slammed into and killed him almost instantly
Cape buffalo, known as the Black Death, kill some 200 people in Africa a year. They are known to kill more game hunters than any other animal
Cape buffalo, known as the Black Death, kill some 200 people in Africa a year. They are known to kill more game hunters than any other animal, including elephants, lions, rhinos or crocodiles.
The lifelong hunter who was raised and taught to shoot on Texas farms stood little chance as the buffalo took him and his safari team by surprise and gored him in a charge.
Hunter Hans Vermaak on behalf of CV Safaris said: ‘It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts we confirm the tragic death of our client and friend Asher Watkins from the USA.
‘On Sunday, 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 it together with one of our professional hunters and one of our trackers. This is a devastating incident, and our hearts go out to his loved ones.
‘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.’
The company said it was in touch with his teenage daughter, Savannah and his ex-wife, Courtney, who were still close and shared custody after their break-up.
A close friend said: ‘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.
‘She will be broken to lose Asher, who was her best friend as well as her dad.’
The company said it was in touch with his teenage daughter, Savannah and his ex-wife, Courtney
The wealthy businessman’s mother, Gwen, brother Amon, and stepfather Tony were all at the upmarket safari lodge while he was out hunting and were broken the tragic news
The wealthy businessman’s mother, Gwen, brother Amon, and stepfather Tony were all at the upmarket safari lodge while he was out hunting and were broken the tragic news.
Popular Asher, who split from wife Courtney in 2013, was the boss of his own successful company, Watkins Ranch Group, which sold exclusive ranches priced between £1m and £30m.
In a tribute, Courtney posted a picture of the family on her Facebook page and spoke about how he was killed.
Savannah, thought to be aged 16 now, was devoted to her father and split her time between them both and is said to be ‘in bits’ after being told he was dead.
Courtney wrote: This photo is from another time, another chapter of our lives—but it’s one that will always be a part of our daughter’s story.
‘On Sunday, August 3, Savannah’s father, Asher Watkins, died 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. Our hearts are heavy as we navigate the days ahead, especially for Savannah as she grieves her dad.
‘We’ve been in a state of shock and heartbreak ever since, trying to process not just the loss, but the complexity that comes with it.
In a tribute, Courtney posted a picture of the family on her Facebook page and spoke about how he was killed
‘Thank you to everyone who has reached out, prayed, or simply held us in your thoughts. Your love has truly carried us through the hardest few days of our lives.
‘The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” —Psalm 34:18
Watkins was affiliated with the worldwide group Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty and was also a respected life member of the Dallas Safari Club.
Friends said he also had an incredible world-class collection of hunting rifles.
Close friend Shannon Wherry said online: ‘On an African safari with his beloved mother, brother and stepdad, Asher came face to face with one of Africa’s legendary buffalo.
‘In a moment of fearlessness as he lived his life, he met the challenge head-on, leaving this world a man of courage, faith and adventure.
‘He loved his precious daughter Savannah more than life itself and leaves her behind and his ex-wife who are now facing an unimaginable loss.
‘Please continue to lift them in prayer for peace and strength in the days ahead.’
Friends said he also had an incredible world-class collection of hunting rifles
An Instagram post from CV Safaris, where Watkins was a regular client, said they met him and some of his family flying in from the USA at Johannesburg Airport last weekend.
They then transported the party of four by a private light aircraft to the big game hunting Bambisana Concession, and on his first day out, he took the trophy of a waterbuck.
But on his second day hunting, they found a buffalo and encountered an unpredictable and aggressive bull who, it would seem, turned from the hunted into the hunter.
The CV Safari has a stark warning to hunters on its website.
It says: ‘No species on the planet has a more fearsome reputation than a Cape Buffalo. Responsible for several deaths and many injuries to hunters each year.
‘The buffalo is regarded as the most dangerous animal to pursue in Africa. Buffalo hunting is thrilling and exhilarating and at the top of every hunter’s wish list.
‘Crafty and belligerent, he seeks refuge in thickets when wounded or when danger approaches. Buffalo are known to charge unprovoked so prepare for the worst.
‘Buffalo have earned their reputation and can absorb astounding amounts of lead even when shots are well placed and a charging buffalo comes at an alarming speed. Cool nerves and a steady hand are crucial.’
An Instagram post from CV Safaris, where Watkins was a regular client, said they met him and some of his family flying in from the USA at Johannesburg Airport last weekend
A Cape Buffalo can weigh 1.5 tons, 11 feet long and 5ft 6in tall, and their horns are joined by a solid lump of bone across the forehead.
They are unpredictable and aggressive, and their only predators are humans and lions.
In 2018, big game hunter Claude Keynhams, 54, was also killed in Limpopo Province by a buffalo after the safari group he was being paid to guide shot another buffalo dead.
The South African professional hunter was trying to load the dead buffalo onto a lorry with his team when he was blindsided by a second buffalo, which gored him to death.
In 2022, another big game hunter was killed at Steenbokpan, Limpopo Province, having shot and wounded a buffalo when it launched a furious charge at him despite being fired at.
Benjamin de Bruyn, 50, died instantly on the buffalo’s horns as the buffalo was killed.
The tragic death of the big game hunter comes after the death of Blondie the Lion in neighbouring Zimbabwe hit the headlines last week when another game hunter killed it.
In a chilling echo of the infamous killing of Cecil the Lion from the same Hwange region in 2015, the lion that had been collared by Oxford University scientists for research was targeted.
On his social media, he is seen with the corpses of animals he has killed
Cape Buffalo can weigh 1.5 tons, 11 feet long and 5ft 6in tall, and their horns are joined by a solid lump of bone across the forehead
A Zimbabwe hunting company was said to have lured Blondie away from the safety of a non-hunting private reserve with meat as bait to draw him into a legal hunting concession.
Once Blondie crossed the border away from his pride of 3 lionesses and 10 cubs, an American big game hunter was lying in wait and shot him dead to take home as a trophy.
Blondie’s killing was branded unethical, although the Zimbabwe Professional Hunters Association refused to comment on it and the safari operator insisted the hunt was legal.
South African Police are believed to have opened an inquest into the death of Asher Watkins.