A Dallas realtor who sold multi-million-dollar ranches was killed by a buffalo on a hunting trip in South Africa on Sunday, according to media reports.
Asher Watkins, the 52-year-old managing partner of Dallas-based real estate firm Watkins Ranch Group, was on an organized big-game hunting trip with Coernraad Vermaak Safaris when he was fatally gored.
Watkins was tracking the buffalo in South Africa’s Limpopo Province when the creature fatally injured him in a “sudden and unprovoked attack,” a representative of Coernraad Vermaak Safaris told The Daily Mail.
Attempts to contact the company before publication were not returned.
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“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts we confirm the tragic death of our client and friend Asher Watkins from the USA,” Hunter Hans Vermaak of CV Safaris told the outlet. “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.”
Watkins’ ex-wife, Courtney, announced the death in a now-deleted Facebook post, the Daily Mail said.
“On Sunday, August 3, Savannah’s father, Asher Watkins, died suddenly in a tragic incident involving a Cape buffalo while on a hunting trip in South Africa. Our hearts are heavy as we navigate the days ahead, especially for Savannah as she grieves her dad.”
Watkins was raised in Dallas and worked on his family’s hunting and cattle ranch growing up.
His firm, Watkins Ranch Group is an affiliate of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty and LIV Sotheby’s International Realty. The firm sold ranch properties in multiple states priced as high as $46 million, according to the group’s website.
Watkins’ online biography and social media accounts highlight his affinity for hunting and fishing. He was actively involved in Ducks Unlimited, the Dallas Safari Club and the American Association of Professional Landmen. Watkins attended Baylor University.
Attempts to contact Watkins Ranch Group were not returned before publication.
Tyler Thomas, founder of the TT Ranch Group, worked with Watkins under the Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty banner. He said he knew Watkins for just under a decade.
Thomas said Watkins was a loving father and a Texan to his core. The realtor and big-game hunter loved his cowboy hat and boots. He enjoyed Texas barbecue and often flashed a big smile.
“Asher had a gregarious personality,” Thomas said. “He never met a stranger. He was not shy, and he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind — which I respected. He was a loyal friend. That’s Asher in a nutshell.”