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Gila Monster 'Winston' Bites, Kills Colorado Man Who Owned Reptile As Pet

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A 34-year-old man in Colorado, with a hobby of collecting venomous reptiles as pets, was killed by one of his Gila monsters.

The Lakewood Police Department confirmed with Fox News Digital that they received a 911 call from the victim's girlfriend, Madeline Sutton, for "an animal bite" around 11:45 p.M. On Feb. 12.

When they arrived at Christopher Ward's home, they discovered that he had been bitten by the venomous Gila monster.

Police said that Ward had named his pet lizard, Winston.

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Christopher Ward kept two Gila monsters in his Colorado home, police said. (DeAgostini / Getty Images / File)

Sutton said that she was in another room in the couple's shared home when she heard him say something that "didn't sound right," police said.

When she entered the room, she found that Ward was on the ground and that the Gila monster lizard had escaped its cage and "latched" onto his hand.

Police said that the frantic girlfriend called 911 after he began violently vomiting and "ceased" breathing.

Authorities said that Ward was hospitalized for four days before he died from the bite.

Christopher Ward died after he was bitten by his venomous Gila monster on Feb. 12. (Joel Saget / AFP via Getty Images / File)

A day after the man was bitten, Lakewood Animal Control officers went to the home and removed two Gila monsters with the assistance of Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

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Authorities also found and removed 26 species of spiders in the Colorado home.

Ward also owned a pet tarantula spider, police said.

The San Diego Wildlife Zoo Alliance said that Gila monsters "rarely" kill humans with their venomous bite. (Encyclopædia Britannica/UIG Via Getty Images)

Lakewood police said the reptiles have been taken to a wildlife rehabilitation facility in South Dakota.

Police noted that owning Gila monsters is illegal in Lakewood, Colorado.

According to the San Diego Wildlife Zoo Alliance, Gila monster bites "rarely" causes death in humans.

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"The Gila monster is venomous; its venom is made by a row of glands in the lizard's lower jaw. When the lizard bites, small grooves in the teeth help the venom flow into its prey," the organization said on its website. "The bite of a Gila monster is very strong, and the lizard may not loosen its grip for several seconds. It may even chew so that the venom goes deeper into the wound.

"A Gila monster bite is painful to humans, but it rarely causes death," the zoo added.


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Colorado Man Dies After Being Bit By Pet Gila Monster

A pet Gila monster — one of two venomous lizard species in the world — bit its owner in Lakewood, leading to his eventual death. The death will mark the first time a Gila monster bite has killed someone in nearly 100 years. 

Lakewood police responded to a call for an animal bite around 11:45 p.M. On Feb. 12. A 34-year-old man was found to have been bitten by one of his two pet Gila monsters. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital where he later died from his injuries on Friday, according to the Lakewood Police Department. 

The Jefferson County Coroner's office told The Gazette's news partner, 9News, that the man's cause of death is pending further investigation.

The death is the first record of a person dying via a Gila monster bite since a news article in 1930, experts say. Before that, the next closest were detailed in medical literature in the late 1800s. 

Though Gila monsters are one of two venomous lizards — with the Mexican Beaded Lizard being the other — deaths from the venom are rare, said Dr. Nick Brandehoff, a medical toxicologist with the Asclepius Snakebite Foundation with a specialization in envenomation.

Someone bit by a Gila monster may experience hypertension, pain, swelling and vomiting, but they often end up fine following treatment.

How the Lakewood victim died, even after four days of treatment, remains a mystery. 

"This is an incredibly abnormal case and we really have to dig into the details before we come to a conclusion," Brandehoff said. "All possibilities are still possibilities."

Brandehoff and the Asclepius Snakebite Foundation were called in to consult on the Lakewood case. They are now taking the reptile to the Mackessy Venom Analysis Lab at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley to study it. They will test the venom in comparison to other Gila monster venom to find out "why it was such a bad bite," he said.

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Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) officers were called in to remove the reptiles a day after the victim was bitten. Family members asked the police to remove them because they did not know how to take care of them.

The domestic ownership of Gila monsters is illegal in Colorado, according to CPW spokesperson Kara Van Hoose. CPW will issue permits for ownership to established zoological or educational facilities after proof of safe housing and familiarity with the species. 

It's still unclear whether the victim had the proper permits to own Gila monsters. 

"Venomous reptiles are exactly that. Things can turn sour very quick. It's not something we recommend people to own or pursue if they are not part of a scientific or education facility," Van Hoose said. 

Regarding why someone would want to keep venomous reptiles at home, Brandehoff said it's based on fascination more often than not.

"I think there's a curiosity, just like any other animal that people tend to own. People want to practice good husbandry," he said. "There's a lot of really good venomous reptile keepers that practice protocols and take care of their animals. There's some that aren't great caretakers, but that goes for dog owners, too"

But Brandehoff said people need to remain cognizant with the inherent danger of owning a venomous pet. Though Gilas can be docile and unaggressive — it's unpredictable, like any wild animal.

"I appreciate people wanting to be interested in all sorts of creatures, especially venomous. At the same time, you have to respect venomous creatures and their potential to cause harm, even if there are no recent cases," he said.

9News contributed to this report.

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