Buffalo turns the tables — American gored to death in SA safari

Johannesburg – A 59-year-old American has been killed by a buffalo he was tracking during a trophy hunt in South Africa, police said Friday.

The man from Dallas, Texas, whose name was not disclosed, was found dead last Sunday at a farm in the northern Limpopo province.

He had injuries on his stomach and torso, and a buffalo that had been shot and killed was lying nearby.

On Sunday, August 3, Watkins set out to hunt the 1.3-ton animal alongside a professional hunter and a pro tracker from Coenraad Vermaak Safaris. According to statements from the company, the buffalo suddenly charged at him, fatally striking the American rancher at a pace of 35Mph pic.twitter.com/vZrkjrXhou

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A statement from the police said they had been alerted by security personnel at the farm who led them to “a lifeless body of a man already certified dead inside an ambulance”.

Buffaloes in South Africa can weigh up to 800 kilos (1,800 pounds) and are among the so-called Big Five of African trophy animals, along with elephants, rhinos, lions and leopards.

Hunting tourism brings in $169 million a year for South Africa, according to a study by a local university released in July.

“Foreign hunters, often wealthy retirees from the United States,” spend on average $32,663 per visit, the study found.