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.

Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. 

She is a native of Massachusetts and is based in Orlando, Florida.

Story tips and ideas can be sent to sarah.rumpf@fox.com and on X: @s_rumpfwhitten.