Asher Watkins died after being attacked by a buffalo during a hunting expedition in South Africa, authorities reported on Friday.
Fatal Limpopo buffalo attack death of Asher Watkins.
Police confirmed that an American man was killed by a Cape buffalo he was pursuing on a trophy hunt. The incident occurred last Sunday at a farm located in the northern Limpopo province. While the victim’s name was not officially released by local police, U.S. media sources, drawing from the safari company that arranged the trip, identified him as Asher Watkins, a 52-year-old from Dallas, Texas.
In a statement to The New York Times, Hans Vermaak, whose family operates the safari company, described the attack as sudden and unprovoked. He explained that Watkins was tracking the large animal alongside a professional hunter and tracker when the fatal encounter took place.
Coenraad Vermaak Safaris informed People magazine that Watkins suffered fatal injuries from the horns of the Cape buffalo. According to police, the victim showed wounds to his stomach and torso. Nearby, officers discovered a buffalo that had previously been shot and killed.
Security personnel at the farm alerted the police, who found Watkins’s body already pronounced dead by medical examiners inside an ambulance at the scene.
The safari company’s website highlights the Cape buffalo as one of Africa’s most dangerous game animals, noting its reputation for causing numerous injuries and fatalities among hunters annually.
Kariega Game Reserve has referred to the Cape buffalo as “the mafia of the bush,” emphasizing the animal’s tendency to retaliate against perceived threats by stalking and attacking hunters.
An image shows a Cape buffalo in the Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. These animals, which can weigh up to 1,800 pounds, are recognized as part of the “Big Five” category of African trophy species, which also includes elephants, rhinos, lions, and leopards.
