Difficulty: Challenger (Level 2)
A 34-year-old man in the US state of Colorado died in February after being bitten by a Gila monster. Christopher Ward’s death is believed to be the first from a Gila monster in the US in almost a century.
Ward’s pet lizard, Winston, bit down on his hand and wouldn’t let go. Within minutes, Ward was vomiting and could not breathe. He was put on life support but died in less than four days. The bite caused too many heart and liver problems.
Ward’s girlfriend told animal control they bought Winston at a reptile exhibition in October. In November, they bought another Gila monster (pronounced HE-la) named Potato from a breeder in another state. She surrendered the lizards to a reptile sanctuary after the bite.
“It’s like getting your hand slammed, caught in a car door,” Dale DeNardo, a professor at Arizona State University in the US, said about the lizard’s bite. “[That] initial pain [lasts] for an hour. Then, you get the typical days of soreness and throbbing pain. It’s much worse than any bee, wasp or scorpion.”
Colorado requires a permit to keep a Gila monster. Only zoological-type facilities are issued such permits. Ward did not have one for his lizards.
Gila monsters and other exotic animals can be fascinating, but they should not be kept as pets. Many of them are poisonous and can cause serious illness or even death.
Associated Press
