A death”incredibly strange” stunned the residents of Lakewood, a town in the American city of Denver. On February 16, a man died after being bitten by a Gila monster, and now shocking details of the tragedy are emerging.
Christopher Ward, 34 years old, was bitten by this desert lizard for 4 minutes. On February 12, his girlfriend discovered him dying in her bed and immediately called the ambulance.
When the lizard released Ward, the man lost consciousness for a few hours. When examined by paramedics, Ward, who was lying down, appeared “minimally responsive” and visibly very scared.
In hospital he was placed on life support and “continued to worsen during hospitalization.” Finally, four days later he died.
According to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office report, the death occurred due to “complications due to Gila monster poisoning” with heart and liver problems as contributing factors.
The lizard belonged to the couple and was named Winston. They had bought him at a reptile show in Denver and he was one of two who lived with them in their home. The other, a smaller Gila monster, was called Potato.
The Gila monster has special teeth to not let go of its victims.An “incredibly rare” death.
According to the Associated Press, this is the first death from a Gila monster bite in the United States in nearly a century.
According to the New York Times, the curator of herpetology at the Bronx Zoo, Kevin Torregrosahe said it was strange to be bitten by a Gila monster and “incredibly rare to die for one”.
What didn’t seem extraordinary to him was that the monster bit Ward for four minutes, “because that’s what they do.” These animals, unlike venomous snakes, have grooves between their teeth that allow them to better cling to their victims.
These lizards “bite, hold and chew” and this is how they release their venom.“They bite, hold and chew, and this is how they release their venom”, Torregrosa specified. He also said that the venom “is very painful” and that Gila monsters are usually not active hunters, but rather use the venom as defense.
In this sense, it is believed that Ward was playing with Winston when he bit him. “No one will come out of the bushes and bite you,” Torregrosa clarified.
Gila monsters are small and slow, the specialist explained, and although they “snake and plod like turtles would,” they can attack quickly.
Both Winston and Potato were taken to a reptile zoo in South Dakota.
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.