CRANFORD, NJ — Following the death of 70-year-old Lisa Manders, of Cranford, while on a 10-day safari in Zambia in the spring of 2024, her husband, Craig Manders, is suing the company that organized the tour.
According to court documents, the couple had gone on a bush walk organized by the Connecticut-based African Portfolio with several tour guides on June 5, when they approached a hippopotamus that was partially submerged in a river. Despite being herbivores, the hippopotamus is a very aggressive, wild creature and is the deadliest large land mammal on the planet. It is estimated that hippo attacks kill 500 people a year in Africa. It is not only their size and weight that makes them dangerous, but also their very sharp teeth.
The lawsuit asserts that the tour guides did not warn the couple of the danger they would be in, even encouraging safari participants to approach the water, where they could more easily observe, photograph and record the hippopotami. Although at least one guide had a firearm, the lawsuit alleges the guides left the area, leaving the couple with no protection.
According to the suit, Lisa Manders was standing on the riverbank when the hippopotamus suddenly charged her, and she wasn’t able to get away.
“The hippopotamus violently attacked her, grabbing her by its mouth, lifting her off the ground, shaking her entire body, and crushing her head and body with its bite,” the lawsuit states.
Although it was reported that a trained wildlife police officer and a tour guide tried to intervene, both were unsuccessful, and Lisa Manders died shortly afterward from her injuries, described in the lawsuit as “catastrophic.”
Craig Manders witnessed the entire attack and his wife’s death, according to the lawsuit filed on Wednesday, Feb. 5, in Stamford Superior Court in Stamford, Connecticut.
The suit alleges the company failed to adequately train its staff or have adequate safety procedures. As a result, Lisa Manders suffered pain and death, and Craig Manders suffered severe emotional and psychological injuries from losing his wife, according to the lawsuit.
It claims the company was negligent for not providing a “reasonably safe environment” for the couple, and for encouraging and permitting them to be exposed to an “avoidable and highly dangerous encounter with a hippopotamus.”
The lawsuit also says that the couple was encouraged to explore on foot, with no barriers between them and the wildlife.
In a statement, African Portfolio said the tour staff gave the guests “repeated verbal warnings” to return to the vehicle after spotting the hippo.
“Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family, and everyone else involved in this tragic incident,” the company said.
Photo Courtesy of Sky News