Man dead after he was bitten by illegal pet Gila monster lizard

There's a reason why some animals are illegal to own -- especially the venomous type.

Unfortunately, one man's family was forced to mourn his loss after he was fatally bitten by a large venomous lizard he kept as a pet called a Gila monster, CNN reported.

According to Lakewood City, Colorado officials, Christopher Ward, 34, died as a result of a bite from one of the two Gila monsters he kept in his home. Officials said he was bitten on the hand by the venomous lizard.

The situation was nothing less than a nightmare, as it was described by the deceased man's girlfriend. CNN explained:

Ward’s girlfriend called 911 just before midnight February 12 after she entered the room where the reptiles were kept and found that one of them had “latched onto Ward’s hand,” LPD Animal Control officer Leesha Crookston wrote in the report. Ward immediately started showing symptoms, vomiting several times before he passed out, and his breathing stopped, the report said.

His girlfriend told authorities that she was in a different room when the bite occurred, so she wasn't sure what led to the lizard latching onto his hand, but said she heard Ward say something that "didn’t sound right."

Ultimately, Ward was rushed to the hospital where he was placed on life support. He was "declared brain dead" shortly after.

A Colorado man died after a Gila monster bite. Opinions and laws on keeping the lizard as a pet vary https://t.co/z5o99vt3zy

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 22, 2024

CNN noted:

Ward’s girlfriend says that the lizard who bit Ward was named Winston and that Ward bought him at a reptile exhibition in Denver in October, when the reptile was about a year old, according to the report. The second Gila monster, named Potato, was bought as a hatchling from a breeder in Arizona in November.

Officials removed the two illegal lizards from Ward's home and will relocated them to a South Dakota animal park.

The venom from a Gila monster is as toxic as that from a western diamondback rattlesnake. Unlike treatments available for snake bites, there's currently no antivenom for Gila monster bites.

"The bite of a Gila monster is very strong, and the lizard may not loosen its grip for several seconds,” the San Diego Zoo states. "It may even chew so that the venom goes deeper into the wound."

It was also noted that while Gila monster bites can be extremely painful, it's almost unheard of that they wind up fatal.

News of the rare Gila monster-related fatality sparked intense controversy and debate across social media.

"They are an amazing creature, but not “pet”. Always make sure to know how to keep them secured," one X user wrote.