The Dark Continent is a prominent bucket list destination for many hunters looking to get after game animals not found anywhere else on the planet. Each year thousands of hunters make the pilgrimage to the African continent in search of exotic big game animals including impala species, bushbucks, kudus and even the formidable cape buffalo. Often referred to as “black death”, cape buffalo are one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Known for their erratic behavior and incredible size, hunting these animals comes with inherent risk that has unfortunately resulted in the death of an American man last weekend.
According to reports, 52-year-old Asher Watkins was fatally gored on Sunday by a 1.3-ton Cape buffalo during a hunting safari in South Africa’s Limpopo province, organized by Coenraad Vermaak Safaris. Accompanied by a professional hunter and a tracker, Watkins was stalking the buffalo in the 50,000-acre Bambisana concession. The unwounded buffalo, described as increasingly agitated, suddenly charged at Watkins at 35 mph, striking and killing him almost instantly. The attack was deemed unprovoked, and it remains unclear whether the safari team killed the buffalo or if it escaped. Watkins’ mother, Gwen, brother, Amon, and stepfather, Tony, were waiting at the safari lodge when they received the tragic news.
African cape buffalo
“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we confirm the tragic death of our client and friend Asher Watkins from the USA,” Coenraad and Vermaak Safari said in a statement. “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.”
Watkins, who hailed from Dallas, Texas, was a prominent ranch realtor and avid big-game hunter. As the managing partner of Watkins Ranch Group, affiliated with Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty and LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, he specialized in selling luxury ranches priced between $1 million and $46 million across Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. A Baylor University graduate, Watkins was raised on his family’s hunting and cattle ranch in Dallas, fostering a lifelong passion for the outdoors, hunting, fishing, wildlife management, and wetland development.
He was actively involved in organizations like Ducks Unlimited, the Dallas Safari Club, and the American Association of Professional Landmen. Described as a devoted father to his teenage daughter, Savannah, Watkins shared custody with his ex-wife, Courtney, following their 2013 separation. Friends remembered him as a gregarious, courageous man with a love for Texas culture, often seen in a cowboy hat and boots, and known for his extensive collection of world-class hunting rifles.
“On an African safari with his beloved mother, brother, and stepdad, Asher came face to face with one of Africa’s legendary buffalo,” a close friend of Asher’s wrote in a social media post. “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.”
