Illegal Pet Ownership Leads to Fatal Gila Monster Bite in Colorado

A Colorado man died after being bitten by a Gila monster, a venomous lizard he illegally kept as a pet. Christopher Ward, 34, became ill and passed away after being bitten on the hand by one of the reptiles, which are illegal to own in the city of Lakewood. The venomous lizards were removed from Ward's home, and officials plan to relocate them to an animal park in South Dakota. Gila monsters are the largest lizards in the United States and their venom is as toxic as that of a western diamondback rattlesnake, with no antivenom available for their bites.