US man killed by buffalo he was tracking during South Africa hunting trip
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.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Passenger Dragged Off Plane by Authorities After Allegedly Fighting with Cabin Crew Over Turning Off Her Cellphone
The alleged incident happened on an Ibom Air flight, leading the woman to be banned from flying with the airlineNEED TO KNOW A passenger got into a physical dispute over turning off her cellphone, an airline claims, leading her to be dragged of the plane by authorities Ibom Air issued a statement about the incident, alleging that Ms. Comfort Emmanson "posed a serious threat to the safety" of its crew, passengers and aircraft The airline also said the woman has been banned from flying with the company, citing its "zero-tolerance policy"A passenger was dragged off a plane in Nigeria after allegedly refusing to switch off her cellphone. The incident occurred on Sunday, Aug. 10 on an Ibom Air aircraft that was traveling from the Victor Attah International Airport in Uyo to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, the airline confirmed in a statement shared on Facebook. The airline identified the passenger as Ms. Comfort Emmanson, claiming that her "conduct posed a serious threat to the safety" of crew, passengers and the aircraft. The airline explained that she had reportedly been "instructed in line with standard aviation safety procedures, to switch off" her cellphone, adding that the pilot-in-command also made an announcement. Another passenger sitting next to Emmanson then allegedly took her phone and switched it off, prompting "a verbal tirade" from her, the airline said, adding that "the situation was eventually calmed, and the flight departed as scheduled." After the plane arrived in Lagos, Emmanson reportedly "waited for all other passengers to disembark and then proceeded to confront" the crew member who had instructed her to turn off her phone, alleging that she tore off the flight attendant's wig, removed her glasses and "slapped her several times." The moment was captured on camera, per a video shared by the Associated Press, with the clip showing the passenger being dragged down the aircraft's steps. Ibom Air alleged in the statement that Emmanson had also "attempted to forcibly remove a fire extinguisher to use as a weapon, an act that could have damaged and grounded the aircraft." The pilot-in-command ended up alerting security, and the passenger was "restrained and removed from the aircraft by force," the airline continued adding that Emmanson was then taken into custody by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) security before being handed over to the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation. Emmanson will no longer be permitted to fly with the airline, the airline noted in its statement, adding that the company has a "zero-tolerance policy towards any form of unruly or violent conduct that threatens the safety of passengers, crew or equipment." "Safety remains our highest priority. We urge all passengers to comply with crew instructions at all times for the safety, security and comfort of everyone on board," the airline concluded. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. According to the AP, Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), addressed the incident by saying, "When cabin crew ask you to turn off your phone before takeoff or landing, simply comply." He added, "I can't understand why simple routine issues would lead to incidents like this. Passengers need to understand they have responsibilities, not just rights." However, in a statement posted to X, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) condemned the airline's actions, demanding that "Ibom Air immediately withdraw the lifetime ban, issue a public apology to Ms. Emmanson, and cooperate fully with an impartial investigation into this incident." The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Ibom Air, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority's Achimugu and the Nigerian Bar Association didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword
News24
7 hours ago
- News24
Bellville man sentenced to 5 years for hoax bomb threats
A Bellville man's attempt to avoid work backfired spectacularly, landing him in prison for five years. Nursing a hangover and unwilling to face his job, the man decided to make hoax bomb threats as an excuse to stay home. What seemed like a clever way to skip work turned into a costly mistake - instead of a day off, he earned himself a lengthy prison sentence. The case serves as a stark reminder that elaborate excuses can lead to serious legal consequences. The Bellville Regional Court has sentenced Ferdinand Fortuin to five years' direct imprisonment after he contacted the police, telling them that he had planted bombs at the Department of Water and Sanitation, Transnet Offices, and the Bellville taxi rank. According to the NPA, he gave the police hours to evacuate the premises. The accused made these threats following heavy drinking on Sunday, 10 November 2024, and decided that he did not want to go to work on Monday, 11 November 2024. He left his home in Mamre with the hope that the roads leading to Bellville would be closed because of his bomb threats. They were not, and he worked the whole day. The NPA further states that, in his plea and sentencing agreement, Fortuin confessed that he bought a cell phone from a drug user, which he used to make hoax calls to the police and a toll-free emergency number regarding the placement of explosive devices in the buildings, of which one was where he worked. The 50-year-old is said to have contacted the Bellville Police Station on 11 November 2024, informing officers that he had placed explosive devices at the Bellville Department of Water and Sanitation offices, the Transnet Park Building and the Bellville Taxi Rank. This resulted in the deployment of substantial state resources and the evacuation of thousands of people from the three sites. At the Water and Sanitation Department offices on Voortrekker Road, police assisted by three bomb disposal technicians, the K-9 Dog Unit, using explosive detection canines, and visible policing unit members, evacuated 164 people. Meanwhile, 151 people were evacuated from the department's Bellville South offices. Police, assisted by the same units, evacuated 250 people from the Transnet Park Building offices, and 3,000 people were evacuated from the taxi rank. The taxi rank was closed, and roads leading to and out of the taxi rank were closed, resulting in huge panic in the area. He was arrested and charged with four counts of contravention of the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorism and Related Activities Act 33 of 2004 (POCDATARA) and for contravention of the Explosives Act 26 of 1956. The prescribed minimum sentence is 15 years' direct imprisonment unless the court finds substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed sentence. He was convicted on three counts of POCDATARA, and for purposes of sentencing, the charges were taken together, and he was sentenced to five years' direct imprisonment. The court found that he was a first offender, he had pleaded guilty, had strong personal circumstances, had shown remorse, and his acknowledgement of guilt made him a good candidate for a rehabilitative sentence. The NPA accepted the sentence of the court and warned that anyone who makes such threats will face tough consequences.
News24
8 hours ago
- News24
‘I deeply regret the pain': Kgolo Mthembu apologises to estranged wife RHOD star Annie
RHOD's Annie Mthembu received a public apology from her estranged husband, Kgolo Mthembu. The reality TV star said she chose her children over marriage due to Kgolo's alleged battles with alcoholism and infidelity. Kgolo previously admitted to drinking two bottles of wine daily for two years. Reality TV star and businesswoman Annie Mthembu's husband, Kgolo Mthembu, has apologised to his estranged wife following the recent confirmation of their marital breakdown. This comes after Annie's recent interview on Engineer Your Life with Lungelo KM. 'No matter the personal struggles I was facing, there was never an excuse for dishonouring God's blessings. I deeply regret the pain I've caused you. As the head of the family, I let everyone down,' Kgolo wrote under a video clip of the podcast shared by Annie on Instagram. 'Annie, from the bottom of my heart, I wish you true love, healing and peace. Farewell, Pretty Wings,' he concluded. The reality TV star shared that it was a culmination of things that brought their union to an end, some including Kgolo's battle with alcoholism and infidelity and revealed that in the end she had to choose her children. 'When I started losing myself, chasing my marriage, trying to keep everything together, I stopped paying attention to my kids because I was focused on keeping my husband and myself together. They didn't deserve that, and they saw a lot of things that they should never have seen as children.' Annie expressed that the thought of admitting her husband's unfaithfulness felt like she was not good enough. 'In admitting that I was being cheated on, I felt like I was saying 'I was not good enough'. I was highly embarrassed. I was not in a good place. I just wanted to protect all of us from this, even though I was not being protected.' Despite her awareness of Kgolo's infidelity, Annie felt compelled to maintain the facade of their family unit, hoping to shield her children and herself from further heartache. Reports of alleged infidelity on Kgolo's part made the rounds online during the filming of the reality show, and Annie denied the allegations. In the interview Mthembu previously did on the Lungelo KM podcast, Annie did not say whether the rumours of infidelity were true, but said: 'We've been through sh**, not necessarily to say that he's cheated but because of the behaviours that I had to unlearn, I've put him through sh**.' Kgolo recently spoke candidly on Mo and Phindi's podcast about his healing journey and the personal challenges he has faced. He revealed that he reached a point where he was no longer taking accountability for his life or business. 'I was drinking two bottles of wine every day for two years. I wasn't big on substances. I was big on alcohol. I overdid it, and I made lots of mistakes,' he admitted. The couple tied the knot in 2021, and their lavish wedding was featured on the Real Housewives of Durban. Speaking about his relationship, he said that things were not in a good place. 'There is no way you can be someone's role model, lover, or hero and one day become an animal. You can't give someone love if you don't love yourself,' he said. 'You also need to have patience with the people you've let down. They don't have to forgive you right away. Expecting them to do so is unfair.' On the Engineer Your Life podcast, Annie said the cracks were already showing while filming season 2 of RHOD, ultimately leading to her decision not to return for season 4. Previously speaking to True Love, Annie revealed why she opted to leave the Real Housewives franchise. 'I actually think that after season two, I'd already felt in my spirit that I didn't want to return to the show. I think season two was a very difficult season for me, and I think it took a toll on me. But then I realised that if I didn't come back after season two, I wouldn't really have the opportunity to give viewers a better perspective on who I am because they didn't see who I was in the first two seasons. 'And I said, 'Before I leave this platform, let me just show people who I really am. Not just this confrontational hun or whatever I came across as during the first two seasons. Let me show them that I'm multi-layered and there are reasons for me being the way I am. So, after season three, I felt like I achieved that.'
