US man dies after being bitten by venomous pet lizard

A Colorado man who was on life support after being bitten by a pet Gila monster died from complications caused by the desert lizard’s venom, an autopsy report obtained by The Associated Press on Friday confirmed.

The report also found that heart and liver problems were significant factors in Christopher Ward’s death.

Ward, 34, was rushed to the hospital shortly after being bitten by two of his pet Gila monsters on February 12. Less than four days later, his death was believed to be the first U.S. death from a Gila monster in nearly a century.

An autopsy conducted by the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office on Feb. 18 said Ward was bitten for four minutes and swayed in and out of consciousness for about two hours before seeking medical attention.

He suffered multiple seizures and acute respiratory failure in hospital.

Ward’s girlfriend turned the lizard, named Winston, and another lizard, named Potato, over to an animal control officer and other officials in the Denver suburb of Lakewood the day after they were bitten.

She told police she heard something “that didn’t sound right” and entered a room where she saw Winston grabbing Ward’s hand, according to the animal control officer’s report.

She reportedly told officers that Ward “immediately began experiencing symptoms, vomited several times, and eventually passed out and stopped breathing.”

She also said she and Ward purchased Winston at a reptile show in Denver in October and purchased the potato from a breeder in Arizona in November.

When told that Gila monsters were illegal in Lakewood, the woman reportedly told police she wanted them out of her home as soon as possible.

Officials with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources sent the lizards to a reptile garden outside Rapid City, South Dakota. Twenty-six spiders of different species were also taken from the home to a nearby animal shelter.

The Gila monster is a venomous reptile that naturally inhabits parts of the southwestern United States and adjacent areas of Mexico. Their bites can cause severe pain and knock the victim unconscious, but are usually not fatal.

Legal to own in most states, they are easily spotted by keepers and reptile performers and are widely recognized for their eye-catching color patterns and typically easy-going personality.

Colorado requires a license to keep Gila monsters. However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Kara Van Hoose said only animal facilities can obtain such permits, and Ward apparently did not obtain a permit for his lizards.

Winston may have escaped state law enforcement custody because the lizard was being sold at a reptile show. Colorado Department of Natural Resources agents sometimes attend shows to ensure illegal animals are not sold.

Ward was the last person to die from a Gila monster bite around 1930, said Dale DeNardo, a professor at Arizona State University and a Gila monster enthusiast for decades. , he may have cirrhosis of the liver.