[AzCal Retred]

I'll bet Australia has some truly exemplary "poor pet choice" stories...

Colorado man dies after being bitten by pet Gila monster
20 February 2024

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68348902

Authorities in Colorado have confirmed the death of a 34-year-old local resident four days after he was bitten by one of his two pet Gila monsters.
The creatures are venomous reptiles native to the south-western United States. Their bites are not normally fatal to humans.
But an expert told the BBC's US partner CBS News that the victim may have suffered an allergic reaction.
The last human death from such a bite is believed to have been in 1930.
That incident "was not even a medical journal case," Dr Nick Brandehoff, a medical toxicologist and reptile expert, told CBS News Colorado.
"The vast majority of bites cause local swelling and bleeding," he said.
Dr Brandehoff added that last week's death "highlights that any venomous animals should be respected".
The Jefferson County victim - who has not been identified - reportedly owned two of the carnivorous reptiles.
Gila monsters are the largest lizards in the country and can grow to about 22 inches (56cm) in length, according to the Smithsonian Institution. They are named after the Gila River.
The creature that bit the man on Monday 12 February was a juvenile that measured about 12 inches long.
He was taken to hospital and died last Friday.

[GlennF]

Statistically the animal most likely to cause death in Australia is the horse.  Presumably, mainly from falling off the things.

[AzCal Retred]

My dad grew up in Missouri in the Depression. No money, no car parts, farm horses were the fall back transportation. He said he'd never seen so many people hurt so bad so often. My take is that when you have 2 dumb animals closely tied together speeding along you have 4 times the likelihood of disaster...