In Golden, Colorado, a tragic incident unfolded when a man succumbed to the venom of his pet Gila monster, according to an autopsy report shared with The Associated Press on Friday. The venom from the desert lizard was the primary cause of death, with heart and liver conditions also playing a significant role.
Christopher Ward, aged 34, was rushed to the hospital after being bitten by one of his two Gila monsters on February 12. His passing, which occurred less than four days later, is believed to be the first death in the U.S. caused by a Gila monster bite in nearly 100 years.
The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office conducted the autopsy on February 18. It revealed that Ward experienced a bite lasting four minutes and lost consciousness intermittently for about two hours before seeking medical help. At the hospital, he faced multiple seizures and acute respiratory failure.
The day following the incident, Ward’s girlfriend surrendered the lizard named Winston, along with another named Potato, to an animal control officer in the Denver suburb of Lakewood. She recounted hearing unusual sounds and finding Winston attached to Ward’s hand. Ward began showing severe symptoms immediately after the bite, including vomiting and eventually losing consciousness and breathing.
She also mentioned that they had acquired Winston at a reptile exhibition in Denver in October and Potato from an Arizona breeder in November. Upon learning that owning Gila monsters was illegal in Lakewood, she expressed her desire to remove the lizards from her home as quickly as possible.
In response to the incident, officers coordinated with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources to relocate the lizards to Reptile Gardens in South Dakota. Additionally, twenty-six spiders of various species were removed from the home and taken to a local animal shelter.
Gila monsters are venomous reptiles native to the southwestern U.S. and parts of Mexico. While their bites are intensely painful and can cause victims to faint, they are not typically fatal. These reptiles are legal in most states and can be purchased from breeders or at reptile shows, admired for their vibrant colors and generally docile nature.
In Colorado, owning a Gila monster requires a special permit, which is usually only granted to zoological facilities. It appears Ward did not have such a permit for his lizards. The sale of Winston at a reptile show may have allowed it to go unnoticed by state regulations, as agents from the Colorado Department of Natural Resources do attend these events to prevent the sale of illegal animals.
The last recorded death from a Gila monster bite before Ward’s occurred around 1930. The victim then may have suffered from liver cirrhosis, noted Dale DeNardo, a professor at Arizona State University and a long-time researcher of these reptiles.