'Unable to escape': Hippo mauls woman to death on African safari, lawsuit says
The husband of a New Jersey woman who was mauled to death by a charging hippopotamus during an African safari is suing a U.S.-based tour company for not keeping the couple safe.
Craig Manders became a widower in June after his 70-year-old wife, Lisa, was killed in front of him during a "bush walk" tour in the nation of Zambia on the southern end of the continent, according to the lawsuit filed in Stamford Superior Court in Connecticut.
Lisa Manders was standing by a river on June 5, 2024, when a partially submerged hippo "suddenly and without warning lifted its head and charged from the water" toward her, the lawsuit states. "Although Lisa Manders attempted to flee, she was unable to escape and the hippopotamus violently attacked her … crushing her head and body with its bite."
The suit alleges that African Portfolio, a Connecticut company, was negligent in failing to provide a reasonably safe environment during the Zambia safari. The company failed to provide adequate warning to the Manders that the hippo posed an imminent danger, the lawsuit said.
Neither of the Manders knew how dangerous hippos could be, according to the lawsuit.
“Had we understood the dangers posed by the hippopotamus, we never would have agreed to be in such close contact while on foot,” Manders said in a statement released by his attorneys, Paul Slager and Nicole Coates, NBC News reported.
Hippopotamuses are one of the most dangerous land animals, killing around 500 people a year. The animals don't eat humans but are territorial in the water and will attack. Even though the animals weigh more than 3,000 pounds, their sharp tusks and ability to run 30 mph for short distances make them deadly creatures to humans and other animals.
The attack left Craig Manders emotionally debilitated and traumatized, according to the complaint. He's seeking at least $15,000 in damages to pay for Lisa's funeral and other expenses.
Anouk Zijlma, a safari specialist with African Portfolio, said in an emailed statement to Paste BN that the incident was "tragic" and that Chiawa Lodge in Zambia arranged the safari. Zijlma added guests were accompanied by a guide, ranger and armed National Park scout.
"Chiawa Lodge confirmed to both the Police, and Department of National Parks & Wildlife investigations at the time, that all safety measures had been implemented both before and during the incident, and repeated verbal warnings for the guests to return to the safety of the vehicle were issued during the incident," she wrote.
African Portfolio's attorney Rod Gould told Paste BN the company only arranges tours and isn't legally responsible for what happens on the tours. Upon booking, people sign a release stating African Portfolio isn't responsible for third-party negligence. He nor the U.S. company provided Paste BN a copy of the release.
"If there were negligence here, it really is the lodge and the safari people," Gould said. "If they shouldn't have let the people out at this point, that's the lodge. If they should've let people in earlier than they did, that's the lodge."
No tours were paused or reevaluated since the incident, Gould said, adding that Lisa Manders' death is the only tragedy since the company's founding 30 years ago.
10-day trip turns deadly
The Cranford, New Jersey, couple explored the Zambian wilderness with African Portfolio in the summer after booking a 10-day trip in the southern African country. According to the company's website, travelers meet a local representative at the Lusaka International Airport where they board a chartered flight to Kaufe and the Lower Zambezi National Parks.
The travel company said on its website that Lower Zambezi's wildlife is massively diverse with "elephant, hippos, crocodiles, zebra and antelope as well as a myriad of birdlife." Each leg of the trip is spent with the company's representatives, according to the company.
On the fifth day of the tour, the Manders embarked on a "bush walk" tour of the Lower Zambezi National Park with African Portfolio's associates. During the exploration, associates saw signs of dangerous wildlife and encouraged the couple to follow the signs, the complaint claims.
That turned deadly when the couple and other tourists saw a partially submerged hippo in a body of water. Tour guides did inform them about the animal's presence, but didn't warn them about its territorial nature, the lawsuit claimed.
The lawsuit claims the tour guides, including at least one armed with a rifle, encouraged participants, including Craig and Lisa Manders, to approach the hippo. The representatives walked away and left the group alone with the hippo.
Radio Christian Voice, a Zambian news organization, reported that the country's Minister of Tourism Rodney Sikumba, a wildlife police officer and a tour guide, attempted to intervene in the attack but the situation worsened, leading to Manders' death.
“Government's thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the deceased, even as investigations continue on the incident,” Sikumba said in a statement to the organization.
According to her obituary, Lisa Manders worked in the finance industry for over 40 years as a Registered Client Associate, including over 20 years at Merrill Lynch.
The dangers of adventure tourism
Adventure tourism can be deadly, whether it’s during a safari, a mountain climbing trip, or on the ocean, and as global travel has become easier and more popular, some experts say deaths have become more common.
Some tourists choose high adventures to feel the thrill of pushing the limits. Danger may come from being in a remote location, the mode of travel, or the native wildlife. Some tourists increase their risks by disregarding safety tips such as crossing safety barriers or venturing out alone.
The U.S. State Department advises careful research to learn the laws and safety regulations in the specific location you plan to visit. Prospective tourists also should research the organization sponsoring the tour or activity because many groups that provide such tours have their own procedures and may not be subject to governmental safety regulations.
Safety guidelines, for example, became a subject of scrutiny after the Titan submersible imploded in 2023 during a dive to see the Titanic wreck.
Remote locations far from hospitals and access to medical care can increase the risk of death. A German tourist swimming alongside a catamaran off the Canary Islands was attacked last year and it took hours for first responders to reach the remote location by helicopter, according to the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida’s Museum of Natural History.
Deadly animals can be found in most locations in the world, whether it’s bison, hippos, or any number of venomous reptiles.
One group of researchers found that fatal lion attacks are increasing in Tanzania, and online accounts differ on whether hippos or reptiles kill more people each year in Africa.
Shark fatalities occur in more far-flung destinations as remote tourism has become more popular, according to research from the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File.
In 2023, three of the four people who died in Australian shark attacks were surfers in a remote spot off the coast of southern Australia.
Even some of the world’s most popular destinations for even the most basic travel have deadly animals, including Florida, which some estimates say has one alligator for every 16 residents.
Reading safe travel guidelines, which remind tourists to follow the rules of their guides and not to overexert themselves physically, is a reminder that each individual tourist can make decisions to keep themselves safe.
Even when you’re not pushing the limits of safety on vacation, you’re likely to be exposed to one of the most dangerous animals in the world – the mosquito.
'Angrier and angrier': How dangerous are hippos?
Besides mosquitos, hippos come in a pretty close second or third as the world’s most dangerous animal, said Mark Walter, president of Blue Straits, an international law and development firm who once had an all-too-close encounter with a hippo.
Walter was working in Ethiopia when he and a colleague went out with a guide in a boat on Lake Awasa to see hippos. The trip quickly turned into an adventure when the boat began sinking.
As the guide began bailing, Walter thought he was seeing two hippos. The guide explained it was one hippo swimming back and forth under the boat “deciding whether he wants to upset the boat,” Walter said. “That’s when I started bailing too.”
Ultimately, they were able to jam a pair of shoelaces into the crevice in the boat where the water was flowing in and safely dock the boat, he said. “It was pretty frightening because the hippo was getting angrier and angrier.”
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at knurse@USATODAY.com. Follow her on X @KrystalRNurse, and on BlueSky @krystalrnuse.bsky.social.