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Pet Gila monster's bite sends local man to hospital

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By Lauren Pack, Staff Report Updated 11:51 PM Friday, July 31, 2009

WAYNE TWP., Butler County — A bite from a venomous lizard hospitalized a 45-year-old Jacksonburg Road man Friday, July 31.

Clifford Lindberg was transported by medical helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital after being bitten by a Gila monster at his Jacksonburg Road home, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office. He was in fair condition late Friday, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Sheriff’s officials said the lizard belonged to a woman present at the the time of the bite. They did not know whether the woman also lived at the house or was visiting.

The Gila monster was caged after Lindberg was bitten, according to the sheriff’s office.

Gila monsters are native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Despite being venomous, many experts agree that Gila monsters pose little threat to humans because of their slow-moving, sluggish nature.

The lizard’s bite is normally not fatal to adult humans, according to experts.

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"My new diabetes medicine has gila monster juice in it." I read something about that a couple of years ago when it was in r&d, how is that working for you? is it a pill or a shot?

if we make Gila monsters illegal only criminals will have Gila monsters

Barry
1:25 PM, 8/19/2009

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My new diabetes medicine has gila monster juice in it. If this poor dude has diabetes i am wondering if his glucose number came down any?

polycarp
10:42 AM, 8/11/2009

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Logic v. Fear, pie8me...right on...Clifford is a dumb ***. To get bit by a gila monster you have to be at the very least careless and likely drunk or stupid. The owner was likely stupid as well for, at the very least, allowing this nut near the lizard. They are illegal to keep without a permit to protect the lizards. There is no danger of them populating an area. Large dogs...are the most dangerous and obnoxious domestic animals out there...I'm surrounded by these barking pain in the *****.

Terry
3:44 PM, 8/4/2009

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Obviously there are more bites and deaths by other animals in this country, they have been here a long time. The problem you run into is when you introduce exotic animals you can change the whole eco system. Look at Florida and all the pythons that were set free into the Everglades by the hurricane. Now they are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to capture and kill them.

Common sense
7:05 PM, 8/2/2009

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The last time I checked this was still a free country and people are allowed to participate in dangerous activities (Nascar anyone?) if they so choose. Gila monsters are not anywhere near as dangerous as dogs, horses or bees. Only 1 or 2 people die from venomous retile bites each year. Compare that to almost 80 that die from livestock and over 30 that are KILLED by the neighborhood dog. Those are the FACTS. Check the National Safety Council statistics.

Try looking at the facts people.

Logic vs. Fear
11:43 AM, 8/2/2009

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