The US hunter was killed by a buffalo who was tracking it during an expedition in South Africa, organizers said this week.
Texas native Asher Watkins said on Sunday “while we were hunting safaris with us in Limpopo, South Africa,” he was killed by Coenrado Varmack Safaris (CVS), the safari company that organized the trip, in a statement sent to CNN.
CVS leader Hans Vermack said on his website that South Africa’s longest-running hunting safari company was “fatally wounded by a sudden, provocative attack by an unting buffalo that he was tracking alongside one of the professional hunters and trackers.”
Vermaak did not say whether the animal was later killed.
Safari-style hunting is common in South Africa and involves running around the hunting area on open-top safari tracks in search of the game. Once the target animal is found, the hunter will chase on foot before taking a shot.
CVS team member Sara Vermac told CNN via email The group “respects family privacy and recognizes the sensitive and traumatic nature of the situation and does not intend to publicly share certain details about tragic events (including Watkins).”
Administrators of the Professional Hunting and Conservation (CPHC), a association representing the South African hunting industry, said in a statement sent to CNN that “the circumstances surrounding the incident are being reviewed.”
It weighs up to about 2,000 pounds, up to about 2,000 pounds, making it considered the most dangerous animal in Africa.
Local reports show that in 2018, a big game hunter was killed in Buffalo, the state, as well. Another man in the area was reported to have been attacked and killed by Buffalo after he fired a shot with it.
South African authorities have even faced criticism and legal action from wildlife groups condemning trophy hunting.
“This didn’t have to happen. Trophy hunting is a cruel entertainment that turns wise beings into targets for grotesque photography and for all grotesque photography.”
Another group posted on social media has been posted on social media. “If Asher Watkins didn’t come to our country to steal the lives of the wildlife in South Africa, he would still be alive and his family and friends would not be heartbroken now.”
