Tragedy Strikes in Colorado as Man Dies from Pet Gila Monster Bite
Via CNN
Summary
A Colorado man died in February 2024 after being bitten by a Gila monster he illegally kept as a pet — believed to be the first such death in the United States in nearly a century. Christopher Ward, 34, was found by his girlfriend with the lizard latched onto his hand at their Lakewood home just before midnight on February 12. Ward was bitten for approximately four minutes before seeking medical attention and was placed on life support, dying four days later.
An autopsy confirmed Ward died from complications of Gila monster envenomization, with pre-existing heart and liver conditions as contributing factors. Gila monsters are venomous lizards native to the southwestern U.S. and are a protected species illegal to own as pets in Colorado. Experts described the death as extraordinarily rare, noting that Gila monsters rarely bite unless provoked and that documented fatalities are nearly unheard of in modern medicine.
