A New Jersey mother was mauled to death by a charging hippopotamus during an African tour, and her surviving family is now suing the tour company for failure to keep the victim safe.
The lawsuit was filed by the victim's husband, who was with her during the African safari and watched his wife, 70-year-old June Manders, killed by the massive animal. Craig Manders and his wife were in the middle of a "bush walk" tour in Zambia on the southern end of the continent.
New Jersey Mom Mauled to Death by Hippo
The incident took place on June 5, 2024, and Lisa was said to have been standing by a river when a partially submerged hippopotamus suddenly, without warning, got up and charged at the woman.
The lawsuit added that while the victim tried to flee the charging animal, she was unable to escape, and the animal eventually bit her body and crushed her head. Craig is claiming that the tour company, African Portfolio, was negligent in failing to properly keep the couple in a safe environment during the Zambia safari, according to USA Today.
Craig also claims that the tour company failed to adequately warn the couple that the hippo posed an imminent danger to their well-being. The lawsuit argued that neither of the Manders was informed of how dangerous the massive animal could be to them.
In a statement released by Craig's attorneys, the widower said that if they had understood the dangers the animal posed, they would never have agreed to come so close to it while they were on foot.
Male hippos can weigh more than 3,000 pounds and run at about 20 miles per hour. These massive animals are also very territorial and aggressive when defending their areas.
Suing the Tour Company
The husband added that they were exposed to extreme danger, which was exacerbated by the fact that the tour guides they were with fled after seeing the hippopotamus attack his wife. He described his late wife as the "best mother and wife anyone could ever hope for," AOL reported.
On the other hand, African Portfolio's attorney, Rod Gould, called Lisa's death a terrible but "really unusual" tragedy. He added that the company typically arranges tours from respected and vetted safari lodges and is not responsible for what happens on the trips themselves.
Gould said that his client is a tour operator, adding that a trip could include airfare but does not make the operator responsible if the airline loses a customer's luggage, as per the New York Post.
