A hunter from the United States has been killed by a buffalo he was tracking during an expedition in South Africa, organizers said this week.
Asher Watkins, from Texas, was killed on Sunday “while on a hunting safari with us in South Africa’s Limpopo Province,” Coenraad Vermaak Safaris (CVS), the safari company that organized the trip, said in a statement sent to CNN.
Hans Vermaak, who leads CVS, which says on its website that it’s the longest-running hunting safari company in South Africa, said Watkins “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.”
Vermaak did not say whether the animal was later killed.
Safari-style hunting is common in Southern Africa and involves driving around hunting areas in an open-top safari truck in search of game. When the target animal is spotted, hunters trail them on foot before taking a shot.
CVS team member Sarah Vermaak told CNN in an email that the group “does not intend to share any specific details regarding the tragic event (involving Watkins) publicly… out of respect for the family’s privacy and in recognition of the sensitive and traumatic nature of the situation.”
The Custodians of Professional Hunting and Conservation (CPHC), an association representing South Africa’s hunting industry, said in a statement sent to CNN that “the circumstances surrounding the incident are (being) reviewed.”
Buffalos, which can weigh up to nearly 2,000 pounds, are regarded as the most dangerous animals to trail in Africa, according to CVS.
In 2018, a big game hunter was similarly killed by a buffalo in the province, according to local reports. Another man in the area was reported to have been attacked and killed by a buffalo after he fired shots at it.
South African authorities have faced criticism and even legal action from wildlife groups who condemn trophy hunting.
“This didn’t have to happen. Trophy hunting is a cruel pastime that turns sentient beings into targets, all for a grotesque photo,” animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) said in a Facebook post.
Another group, called We Will Not Be Silenced about Hunters, posted on social media: “If Asher Watkins had not come to our country to steal the lives of South African wildlife, he would still be alive and his family and friends would not be heartbroken right now.”