A Texas millionaire made it his mission to hunt down and kill a massive buffalo… But in a twist of fate, HE ended up becoming the prey.
Dallas-based businessman Asher Watkins set out on an organized safari in South Africa last week. He targeted a buffalo in the Limpopo Province, tracked it down, and intended to kill it for trophy. But that’s not how things ended up going down…
According to Coernraad Vermaak Safaris, the large beast flipped the script and charged Watkins before goring, maiming, and ultimately killing him. According to the safari, the buffalo was not injured. They told Metro:
“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we confirm the tragic death of our client and friend Asher Watkins from the USA. 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.”
Hunter Hans Vernaak, who also worked with the group, further explained the incident, saying:
“On Sunday, August 3rd, 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 together with one of our professional hunters and one of our trackers.”
“Unprovoked attack”?? Wasn’t Watkins hunting the animal? To kill it? Strange wording, considering.
Watkins’ family is said to have been waiting for him at a safari lodge when the attack happened.
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The late hunter was the head of Watkins Ranch Group, a brokerage that sells multi-million dollar ranches in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. In the wake of his death,Watkins’ ex-wife Courtney took to social media to share a photo of him with their daughter. She’s since deleted the post, but according to multiple outlets, she 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. 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.”
Complexity is certainly the word. Watkins’ death has reignited the arguments online about sport big game hunters. Remember the guy who killed Cecil the Lion? How much everyone hated him? This time it went the other way, and the prey fought back. As you can imagine, the reactions are… mixed.
We extend our condolences to his loved ones as they navigate their loss.
[Images via Asher Watkins/Facebook & David Sims/Cover Images/WENN]
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