Zambia: A tourist has died after a hippo attack at the Lower Zambezi National Park. The news of the accident has been going viral on the internet. Many people of the country are looking forward to the response of the government.
Minister of Tourism, Rodney Sikumba, has extended his condolences on the unfortunate death. The tourist was taking safari tour at the Zambezi National Park when the attack happened.
The minister of tourism shared the details of the accident and has expressed that they would continue to extend their support to the currently grieving family. The people on the social media have also come forward to extend their sincere condolences on the death of the visitor.
Some members of the social media are worried that the incident will reflect negatively on the tourism sector of Zambia.
According to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, the tourist was part of a walking safari with a tourist guide. During the walking safari both the deceased victim and the guide were attacked by the hippo.
The tour guide and an expert wildlife police officer jumped into action quickly and tried to protect the tourist. However, that was not enough to prevent the unfortunate accident from playing out
Minister Sikumba said that the officers and managers of the national protected areas should work together to make sure that the visitors of Zambia are safe.
The Ministry of Tourism and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife has has also shared an official statement. They said that this is a reminder that everyone should use safety protocols during safari tours.
The ministry has confirmed that they will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident, In their investigation, they will ascertain whether their was any shortcoming on the part of the response team, which could have prevented the accident.
The Minister of Tourism Sikumba reassured that his ministry takes these accidents extremely seriously. He added that they are committed to promote the safety of the people.