A grieving husband has spoken out after he tragically witnessed his wife being killed by hippos while on a safari.
Lisa Manders, 70, was on a dream trip with her husband, Craig Manders, when she was attacked and killed by the animal, per the Daily Mail.
The mother of three suffered “catastrophic injuries” and died moments after the attack, according to the lawsuit filed against African Portfolio, the company that organized the trip.
Craig Manders expressed his devastation in a statement, criticizing the safari guides for allegedly failing to warn them about the dangers posed by the wild hippo.
“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.
He further claimed that Lisa was left exposed to the deadly animal without proper protection.
“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,” he added.
The couple had traveled from the U.S. to Zambia on May 31, 2024, for a ten-day safari. Five days into their trip, they joined a “bush walk” guided by safari staff.
According to the lawsuit, the tour 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.”
Despite this, the lawsuit alleges that at least one armed guide left the area before the attack, leaving Lisa and others unprotected.
The hippo then charged out of the water, heading straight for Lisa.
“She was unable to escape and 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.
African Portfolio has denied responsibility, calling Lisa’s death a rare and tragic event.
The lawsuit argues that the Manders were “neither fully aware, nor adequately warned” about the risks of being near the water. It also claims they were “negligently encouraged… to approach the water and stand on the bank” to observe and photograph the hippo.
Craig’s attorneys say the attack was “entirely preventable.”
Slager of Slager Madry LLC told NBC News: “Interacting with the natural world in the wilderness can be an incredibly rich experience. 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.”
Lisa is remembered as a loving wife and mother who cherished cooking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
“Lisa was the best mother and wife anyone could ever hope for,” Craig said.
She is survived by her husband, her children—Casey, Trevor, and Mackenzie—her brother, Paul, and her granddaughter, Lulu.
“Her violent death is a devastating loss not only for our family, but for our community,” Craig added.
