Texan Killed by Cape Buffalo in South Africa

Asher Watkins, 52, was killed by a Cape buffalo during a hunt in the South African province of Limpopo on Sunday, Aug. 3

Asher Watkins was stalking a Cape Buffalo in the Limpopo province on Sunday when the animal apparently caught wind of him and his hunting party, hid in high brush, and the made a surprise, deadly charge.

The Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is a large and peculiar African bovine species of unknown ancestry. The American author, Robert Ruark, wrote extensively about them and once erroneously claimed that they pose little danger unless they are wounded. I remember being surprised to read this from such an experienced hunter, as it is definitely not true.

In 2005, the famous artist Simon Combes was killed by an unprovoked charging Cape Buffalo. He was fond of the animals and painted some great images of them.

In 1995 I accompanied a Cape Buffalo hunting party in Zimbabwe and was shocked at how fast the big, heavy, lumbering bulls can run. At one point, as we were stalking a so-called “Bachelor Herd”—i.e., old males who have been kicked out of the herd by younger males—our professional guide announced that they had apparently caught our scent and he instructed us to “look for a tree you can climb just in case they turn on us.”

Bachelor Herds consisting of entirely of old males, beyond their reproductive years, are sometimes called "Dagga Boys." The named originates in the Zulu word "udaka," meaning mud, and refers to their habit of wallowing in mud to cool down and remove parasites. The name expresses their muddy appearance and their solitary nature. Lions are the primary the predator of Cape Buffaloes, and epic battles between the two species are often videotaped.

Though many—myself included—perceive the shooting of Cape Buffalo to be a cruel sport, there is no doubt that hunting revenue provides the strongest incentive for preserving their habitat. Hunting revenue is also the primary source of money to pay park rangers and other security personnel to protect Africa’s animals from poachers.

Asher Watkins was a father of a child and was well-liked in my community. Sadly, Facebook has been flooded with hateful comments from people expressing the sentiment that his death served him right for hunting the Cape Buffalo that killed him.

While I haven’t gone hunting in thirty years and do not like killing animals, I find such sentiments uncalled-for. Most humans are—like lions—meat eaters, and buffalo meat invariably goes to feeding local people. Within minutes of my brother shooting a bull in 1995, women from a local African tribe emerged from the bush (having heard the rifle shot), butchered the animal, and took all of it—including its intestines—back to their village.

I wonder how many of those posting rude remarks on Facebook are strict vegetarians. He and my youngest brother were old friends. Our condolences to his family.