A big game hunter has been fatally gored by the buffalo he was pursuing for a trophy kill in South Africa.
Asher Watkins, 52, who accumulated his wealth through ranch trading in the US, was participating in a $10,000 organized hunting safari last week with Coenraad Vermaak Safaris, tracking a 2,800 pound buffalo through the wilderness.
However, the hunter became the prey when the buffalo launched a deadly charge, killing him almost immediately at the 50,000-acre Bambisana concession.
Residents call the buffalo species found in the area, Cape buffalo, the “Black Death” due to their track record of causing approximately 200 deaths annually and for claiming more game hunters’ lives than lions, rhinos or crocodiles.
Based on his social media profile, it is evident that Watkins was a passionate hunter who believed it was crucial to conserve wildlife. His profile displays him posing with various trophies he’d acquired over the years, including mountain lion and multiple deer.
“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.”
His former partner and teenage daughter have been notified of his death. A close friend of the father shared: “He spent every spare moment he could with Savannah and shared his life with her.
“Nobody could love a daughter more than he did. She will be devastated to lose Asher, who was her best friend as well as her dad.”
Family members, his mother Gwen, brother Amon, and stepfather Tony, were informed at the luxury lodge where they had all been staying.
He amassed his wealth through his company, the Texas-based Watkins Ranch Group, which deals in luxury ranches that can fetch prices up to $39 million.