Elderly American tourist killed in Zambia hippo attack

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) – An elderly American tourist was killed by a hippo attack this week when one charged at her on a walking safari, the country’s tourism minister announced Friday.

“The Ministry of Tourism is saddened to learn of the tragic accident that occurred on June 5 in Lower Zambezi National Park,” said Rodney Sikumba in a statement.

The Department of National Parks and Wildlife said a woman tourist, age 70, was taking a walking safari in the company of a tour guide when a hippo suddenly charged and killed her.

Sikumba said in the capital Lusaka that the incident served as a poignant reminder of the shared responsibility for ensuring the safety of visitors in the national parks, game management areas, and all protected areas.

“Despite the efforts of our well-trained wildlife police officer and tour guide to intervene when the hippo was noticed to have started charging and attacking the tourist, the situation unfortunately unfolded quickly and tragically resulted in the loss of life,” he added, saying that his ministry regrets the incident.

“This definitely serves as a somber reminder of the importance of adhering to safety protocols in our national parks,” he said.

Sikumba said investigators are looking into what could have gone wrong with the quick intervention protocols to avert injury or death. He added that such incidents are taken seriously by his ministry, which is mandated to ensure the safety of all visitors.