When a Dallas ranch realtor went on a hunt in South Africa, little did he know it would be his last.
Asher Watkins was on a South African hunting safari on Sunday when a buffalo attacked, giving him fatal injuries, according to a statement from Coenraad Vermaak Safaris. Watkins was managing partner at the Dallas-based Watkins Ranch Group, a rural real estate firm.
“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we confirm the tragic death of our client and friend Asher Watkins,” wrote Hans Vermaak in the statement. “This is a devastating incident, and our hearts go out to his family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”
Watkins was reportedly on a hunting safari in South Africa’s northern Limpopo Province on August 3, with a professional hunter and a tracker from the company. Then, an “unwounded” buffalo he had been tracking turned in a “sudden and unprovoked attack” and gave him injuries that proved fatal. He was tracking a 1.3-ton Cape Buffalo, sometimes known as the “Black Death” for its dangerous reputation.
“This is a deeply traumatic incident for all involved,” Vermaak wrote. “The family and our team members who were present at the time are understandably shaken.”
Watkins’ ex-wife, Courtney, remembered him in a statement reported by Metro. She said their teenage daughter, Savannah, is in “shock.”
“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,” Courtney reportedly said. “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.”
Watkins was a “Texas native” raised in Dallas, who spent “the better part of his life” in the outdoors and on ranches across the state, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also worked on his family’s hunting and cattle ranch.
He has been a “proven leader” in real estate for nearly a decade, and has experience in the oil and gas industry, as well as “wildlife management and wetland development.” Watkins worked across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Nevada.
“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,” Vermaak wrote. “We kindly ask for privacy and compassion during this time while all those affected come to terms with this tragedy.”
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