NJ Woman Mauled To Death By Hippo On Safari; Husband Sues Tour Company

CRANFORD, NJ — A Union County man who said he saw his wife being attacked and killed by a hippopotamus while on a safari trip has sued the company that organized the tour.

The 70-year-old's "catastrophic" injuries happened while the couple was in Zambia late last spring as part of a 10-day safari offered by Connecticut-based African Portfolio, according to court documents.

Lisa and Craig Manders went on a bush walk with several tour guides on June 5, when they came across a hippo partially-submerged in a river, the lawsuit states.

Though they are herbivores, hippopotami can be highly territorial and aggressive, and are responsible for killing around 500 people a year. Their bite strength, large teeth, and ability to run as fast as a human makes them one of the most dangerous animals on earth, according to Science Focus.

The lawsuit asserts that the tour guides didn't warn the couple of the danger, and that they encouraged safari participants to approach the water and then observe, photograph and record the hippo.

While 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.

A report from Zambian news organization Radio Christian Voice indicated that a trained wildlife police officer and a tour guide tried to intervene, but were unsuccessful.

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 Feb. 5 in Stamford Superior Court.

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.

Rod Gould, attorney for African Portfolio, told Patch that his client organizes and arranges tours with a "highly reputable" luxury safari company named Chiawa Lodge, but was not responsible for running the trip. He said Lisa Manders' death was a "terrible thing," but that no one from African Portfolio was on the excursion.

"We acted as a tour operator," he said. "We arranged the items. We don't own the airline, we don't own the guides — we don't select any of them, and what our obligation is is to have reason to believe that a supplier of services is competent," he said.

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.

According to her obituary, Lisa Manders was a mother and grandmother who had worked in the finance industry for over 40 years as a registered client associate and for Merrill Lynch for more than two decades.

Patch's Michelle Tuccitto Sullo contributed to this report from Connecticut.