Asher Watkins, 52, a Texas ranch broker and prominent big-game hunter, was fatally gored by a Cape buffalo during a guided safari in South Africa’s Limpopo Province. The fatal incident occurred on August 3 while Watkins was tracking the animal alongside a professional hunter and a local tracker, as part of a luxury hunt organized by Coenraad Vermaak Safaris, according to mysanantonio.com.
Watkins, a managing partner at Watkins Ranch Group, was well-known in ranching and hunting circles. His ex-wife, Courtney Watkins, and their teenage daughter, Savannah, as well as his mother, brother, and stepfather, were present at the nearby safari lodge when the incident occurred, according to People. Courtney paid tribute on social media, expressing shock and grief at the sudden loss.
Cape buffalo, part of Africa’s “Big Five,” are notorious among hunters for their unpredictability and aggression, earning nicknames such as “Black Death,” according to The Guardian. The safari company, in its statement, emphasized the animal’s danger and ongoing cooperation with authorities as they support Watkins’s family through this traumatic event. South African police have reportedly opened an inquest into the incident, according to The Sun.
