New Jersey resident Craig Manders filed a lawsuit against African Portfolio, a safari tour company based in Greenwich, Connecticut, after his wife, 70-year-old Lisa Manders, was killed in a hippopotamus attack during a safari in Zambia in June 2022, Fox News reported.
The lawsuit, filed on February 5 in Stamford, Connecticut, seeks $15,000 in damages for negligence and recklessness to cover Manders's funeral and other expenses, Ouest-France reported. The couple had embarked on a ten-day dream safari in Zambia, departing the US on May 31, 2022. They had been in the country for five days when the tragedy occurred during a guided bush walk, according to People.
On June 5, during their safari in the Lower Zambezi National Park, the tour group approached a resting hippopotamus. The lawsuit claims that the guides failed to adequately warn them of the animal's territorial nature. As Manders stood by a river, the hippo suddenly lifted its head and charged from the water.
Although Manders attempted to flee, she was unable to escape. The hippopotamus violently attacked her, grabbing her with its mouth, lifting her off the ground, shaking her entire body, and crushing her head and body with its bite, while Craig watched helplessly,. The lawsuit states that the tour guides, including at least one armed with a rifle, fled during the attack, leaving the tourists unprotected.
The legal complaint alleges that African Portfolio failed to take adequate steps to protect the Manderses before and during the attack, exposing Manders to extreme danger without sufficient protection during the safari, HuffPost reported. Furthermore, the lawsuit contends that the guides knew or should have known that the close presence of the wild hippopotamus to participants in the bush walk posed an immediate and extreme danger due to the known tendencies of hippopotami to be highly unpredictable, territorial, and aggressive in such circumstances.
Craig accuses the company of negligence, stating that they were not informed about the potential danger and aggressiveness of the hippopotamus. "Had we understood the dangers posed by the hippopotamus, we never would have agreed to be in such close contact while on foot," he said, according to The Western Journal. "We were involuntarily exposed to extreme danger," he added.
The lawsuit claims that Craig has suffered severe and debilitating emotional and psychological injuries that have made it difficult for him to cope with daily routines, CBS News reported. Attorney Paul Slager, representing Craig, stated, "We're doing this because this should never have happened," according to CBS News. He added, "There are basic safety standards that businesses are expected to follow, and that includes people in the safari tour industry. And those were not followed, and the consequences here were absolutely devastating."
Rodney Gould, the lawyer for African Portfolio, said the company was not negligent or reckless in connection with Lisa's death. "My client didn't conduct the safari. It arranged it. It booked all the components," he stated. Gould emphasized, "It's important to understand what African Portfolio's role in this is. It's a tour operator. It arranges trips. It puts together the pieces."
Gould also mentioned that African Portfolio would either ask a judge to dismiss the lawsuit or request that the matter go to arbitration, which was a condition of an agreement the Manderses signed for the trip, CBS News reported. He noted that African Portfolio was not negligent in vetting Chiawa Safaris, the company that provided the guides, because it has an excellent reputation.
"Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the family, and everyone else involved in this tragic incident," African Portfolio offered its condolences following the incident. "Immediately afterwards, African Portfolio's founder flew to Zambia to provide assistance, along with the owner of Chiawa Lodge, to ensure that everything possible was being done to support the family and all those involved," according to People.
The lawsuit alleges that African Portfolio failed to ensure that the tour guides were adequately selected, screened, supervised, and trained to provide a safe experience. It contends that the company encouraged and permitted the Manderses to be exposed to an avoidable and highly dangerous encounter with a dangerous hippopotamus in the Zambian wilderness.
Manders had worked in the financial industry for over 40 years as a Registered Client Associate and loved cooking, traveling, and visiting New York City, where she was born in Queens in 1953. She and Craig had three children and a granddaughter, Lulu. "Lisa was the best mother and wife anyone could ever hope for," Craig said.
The lawsuit describes hippopotamuses as highly unpredictable, territorial, and aggressive, known to kill around 500 people annually, highlighting the extreme danger the Manderses faced. Despite their weight of over a ton, hippopotamuses can run at more than 30 km/h when charging to protect their space.
African Portfolio claimed that Chiawa Lodge arranged the walking trip for the guests, and they were accompanied by an experienced and highly trained guide, a ranger, and an armed National Park scout.
The Manderses were on a special anniversary trip, and it was their first time in Africa. They had left America on May 31 for their ten-day safari, which was meant to be a dream vacation.
The lawsuit seeks damages on allegations of negligence and recklessness. "We hope this case helps the Manders family find answers and accountability for what happened, while also serving notice that safari tourists rely on the expertise of tour operators to have a safe experience," said Nicole Coates, another attorney for Craig.
An investigation is underway into the incident to shed light on any possible shortcomings. The Zambian government expressed its condolences to the family, with Minister Rodney Sikumba stating, "Government's thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the deceased, even as investigations continue on the incident.”
Previous incidents highlight the dangers of wildlife encounters in Africa. A year before Manders's death, seven people were killed in Malawi when a hippo charged into a canoe and capsized it on a river. In 2018, a Chinese tourist and a local fisherman were killed in hippo attacks on the same day in Kenya.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.