A millionaire American trophy hunter has been gored to death on the horns of a 1.3 tonne buffalo he tried to kill while on safari in South Africa.
Asher Watkins, 52, was tracking the 1.3 tonne Cape Buffalo bull, known as the Black Death, in the 50,000-acre Bambisana concession on Sunday when it charged at him at 35mph.
Watkins was reportedly killed ‘almost instantly’ by the bull, which is so generally unf*ckwithable that its only predators are humans and lions.
Asher’s ex-wife Courtney, paid tribute to him, saying their teenage daughter ‘is in a state of shock’.
She said: ‘It’s a reality that’s still hard to put into words. Our hearts are heavy as we navigate the days ahead, especially for Savannah as she grieves her dad.
‘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.’
Naturally, the internet is in a total state of grief and mourning for Asher Watkins and the brutal way in which his life was taken from him. Just kidding, of course – most people seem to be quite pleased about it.
It’s hardly a surprise, really. Just as Asher Watkins, 52, had the “rights” to hunt the animal, the Cape Buffalo bull had an equal amount of right to defend itself. It’s just a little bit difficult to feel sympathy for the guy, although of course it does suck for his family and friends and the trophy hunting community who I’m sure were big fans of his.
Watkins, a ranch trader from Texas, said he believed hunting was a vital part of preserving wildlife, and his social media was filled with photos of him next to dead mountain lions and wildfowl. In fact, while in Argentina he boasted about killing thousands of doves in just three days with friends. That’s a lot of killing!
Coenraad Vermaak Safaris said: ‘It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts we confirm the tragic death of our client and friend Asher Watkins from the USA.
‘On Sunday 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 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.’
‘Sudden and unprovoked?’ Lol – is this guy taking the p1ss? I guess they felt it was very unsportsmanlike for the buffalo to defend itself before anyone had killed it. Where’s its respect for the king of nature, eh?
At the end of the day, if you’re trying to kill something and it kills you first, that’s 100% on you. Think that’s what they call a “skill issue” in today’s internet’s parlance? Unlucky bud.
For the hunter who shot dead his 18-year-old son after mistaking him for a moose, click HERE. Whoops.
