Colorado
Colorado man bitten by pet Gila monster dead days later
File image of a Gila Monster, Saguaro National Park, Arizona. Getty Images
A Colorado man has died after being bitten by his pet Gila monster.
The bite happened on Feb. 12 when the man’s girlfriend heard something that “didn’t sound right” coming from the other room. She went to check and saw the lizard latched onto the hand of 34-year-old Christopher Ward, according to a report from local animal control.
She told the Lakewood Police Department that Ward “immediately began exhibiting symptoms, vomiting several times and eventually passing out and ceasing to breathe,” the report said.
Ward was placed on life support in a hospital. Within days, doctors had declared him brain dead.
Ward’s girlfriend handed over the lizard named Winston and another named Potato to Lakewood animal control the day after the bite.
Ward’s girlfriend reportedly told officers they bought Winston at a reptile exhibition in Denver in October and Potato from a breeder in Arizona in November, according to the animal control officer’s report. Told that Gila monsters were illegal in Lakewood, a suburb of Denver, the woman told officers she wanted them out of her house as soon as possible, the report said.
Officers working with the Colorado Department of Natural Resources sent the lizards to Reptile Gardens outside Rapid City, South Dakota.
Twenty-six spiders of different species also were taken from the home to a nearby animal shelter.
What are Gila monsters?
The Gila monster is the largest lizard found in the United States, according to the National Park Service.
It can grow up to about 22 inches long and weigh about a pound, and is known for its bead-like scales in pink, orange, salmon or yellowish color patterns.
The carnivores live in the desert and spend most of their time underground. They’re found primarily in Arizona and Mexico, but can also be found in the extreme southeastern corner of California, the southern tip of Nevada, and the southwestern corners of Utah and New Mexico.
Gila monster bite
The Gila monster is one of only a few venomous lizards in the world.
Gila monster venom is about as toxic as that of a western diamondback rattlesnake, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo.
When Gila monsters bite, which is rare, a relatively small amount of venom is introduced from the lower jaw. But the lizard is known to latch on for a longer period of time and begin to “chew” as to introduce more venom.
It’s unclear how long the pet Gila monster was latched on for when it bit Ward.
NPS says a reasonably healthy adult will probably not be killed by a bite, but young children and people with other medical concerns might be vulnerable.
The local coroner declined to comment to The Associated Press about Ward’s death, including whether tests showed if Ward died from the pet’s venom or from some other medical condition.
This story was reported from Detroit. The Associated Press contributed.
From the Times-Call photo archive via Longmont Museum: “The modern front of Colorado Creamery at 526 Main St. makes a background, above with two of the firm’s trucks parked at the right of the picture and two of the sales representatives standing at center of photo.” Originally published June 22, 1960.
For more historic photos, visit timescall.com/tag/historic-photos. We are adding new photos every week.
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A sculpture that currently sits inside a now-closed Aurora recreation center may get a new lease on life if the Aurora City Council approves a move.
The Beck Recreation Center closed last summer, and part of the building is scheduled for demolition. The remaining portion will serve as a golf shop for the nearby SpringHill Golf Course. That means a huge glass and metal sculpture installed in 2014 needs to be moved.
On Monday, Aurora’s city council will vote on a proposal to move it to Tallyn’s Reach Library. The artist, Reven Marie Swanson, has art installations across the country, and even some overseas.
“Without sounding like I’m bragging, my artwork is in 26 states, 38 municipalities in Colorado and in three countries, ” said Swanson.
She’s a sculptor who combines metalwork and glasswork to create unique pieces, like the one that currently sits inside the shuttered Beck Recreation Center.
“It’s called ‘Under the Swimming Pool,’ and it’s the idea about when you walk into the vestibule. It felt like I could create something that you could actually be under the water and looking up through the surface of the water as if you’re walking on the bottom of the pool,” said Swanson.
In the summer of 2025, structural issues shut the doors at Beck for good, and since then, Swanson’s sculpture has been stuck there.
“I was a little nervous because city governments are very quick to do what they call ‘de-access’ artwork. And I was really hoping that this piece wouldn’t get de-accessed,” said Swanson.
Luckily, the City of Aurora has other plans. They want to move the piece from Beck to Tallyn’s Reach Library.
Swanson says it should be a simple move, but the sculpture, which hangs from the ceiling, will have to be attached to the library’s ceiling in a new way, using new materials. But Swanson says she likes the new location.
“It’s a really beautiful building. It’s got wonderful light, which is going to interact really nicely with the glass,” said Swanson.
And she is glad it will live on, continuing to inspire and enchant Aurorans.
“When I walked into the library, the librarian, she was like, ‘I am so excited to get this art!’ And it makes an artist feel good. Like you accomplished something,” said Swanson.
The proposal, which will be heard at Monday’s city council meeting, is estimated by the city to cost between $15,000 and $25,000, primarily because of the cost of materials needed to suspend it at the new location. The initial cost to install it at Beck Recreation Center in 2014 was nearly $35,000 dollars.
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