Lisa Manders, NJ mom of 3 mauled to death by hippopotamus according to lawsuit filed against Connecticut operator, African Portfolio as husband, Craig, blames safari tour operator for tragedy.
There is a reason why it’s called the wild... A New Jersey mother of three was mauled to death by a hippopotamus during a safari in Africa, according to a lawsuit filed by the woman’s husband who had watched on in horror as his wife was crushed to death by the predator animal.
The suit against the U.S based tour operator comes as the widower seeks damages for the operator failing to warn of the danger and keep them safe.
Craig Manders in his lawsuit says he had his wife, Lisa Manders, 70, had gone on a ‘bush walk’ with tour guides during their 10-day tour in Zambia last May when a hippo partially submerged in a river ‘suddenly and without warning lifted its head and charged from the water.’
Was African Portfolio tour operator negligent in ‘keeping Lisa & Craig Manders safe?’
The Cranford mom tried to flee, but ‘was unable to escape and the hippopotamus violently attacked her’ as accompanying armed guides fled, leaving the woman’s husband to helplessly watch on, the lawsuit stated.
The hippo grabbed her with its mouth, the lawsuit alleges, ‘lifting her off the ground, shaking her entire body, and crushing her head and body with its bite.’
Lisa Manders suffered ‘catastrophic injuries’ and died shortly after, the lawsuit states.
Craig Manders is suing Connecticut-based tour operator African Portfolio, accusing the holiday operator of negligence for not warning them of the potential danger of the wild animals that typically weight up to 3,000 pounds.
‘Had we understood the dangers posed by the hippopotamus, we never would have agreed to be in such close contact while on foot,’ the widower said in a statement released by his attorneys.
‘The idea that we were unwittingly exposed to such an extreme danger, a danger made even worse by our tour guides leaving Lisa alone on foot with nothing between her and such a deadly animal, is nothing short of astonishing.’
Shouldn’t the buyer be aware of risk involved?
In the suit filed at Stamford Superior Court, Manders claims the guides ‘knew or should have known that the close presence of the wild hippopotamus … posed an immediate and extreme danger’ due to their ‘known tendencies’ of being ‘highly unpredictable, territorial, and aggressive in such circumstances.’
‘Lisa was the best mother and wife anyone could ever hope for,’ her husband said. ‘Her violent death is a devastating loss not only for our family, but for our community.’
Craig Manders’ attorneys described the incident as an awful tragedy that was ‘entirely preventable.’
‘Interacting with the natural world in the wilderness can be an incredibly rich experience,’ said Slager, of Slager Madry LLC. ‘But wilderness guides and tour operators like African Portfolio carry the responsibility to ensure basic safety precautions are taken to ensure customers visiting the African wilderness are not unnecessarily exposed to extreme dangers.’
African Portfolio attorney Rod Gould called Lisa’s death a terrible but ‘really unusual’ tragedy.
The lawyer maintained that the company arranges tours from respected and vetted safari lodges and is not responsible for what happens on the trips.
‘My client is a tour operator. It organizes tours,’ Gould told NBC News. ‘A trip, for example, might include airfare. We’re not responsible if the airline loses luggage.’
Male hippos are known to weigh over 3,000 pounds, run at a speed of 20 mph, and are extremely territorial. Hippos are known to be among the most dangerous animals on Earth.
And then there were these comments below on the web that caught this author’s attention. See what you think?
‘This is the reason why safaris need to be regulated , safaris do not respect nature they do not follow safety distances, and respect to a hostile environment this animals live. Animals live in survival mode , it is your responsibility to keep distance. If you know safaris are not regulated and they don’t follow safety procedures why would you expose yourself like that? At this point you’re going at your own risk. 
now you want to sue ?’
‘I’m sorry for your loss but the article says they didn’t know how dangerous a hippo is. I feel like if you’re going somewhere you should learn things like HIPPOPOTAMUS is the most dangerous animal on the planet.’
‘I’m sure you had to sign a waiver which you probably should have read.’
