Share with them that the state of AZ doesn't permit a person to harm or touch a Gila Monster which sometimes freely roam through its neighborhoods. Unless they're molested, Gilas pose very little threat to people. This is common knowledge among professionals who understand them. A wild racoon, in my opinion, possess more threat if it's molested--or especially, if it gets rabies.

The fact is, most people don't know anything about Gila Monsters except that they're "poisonous". If they knew something about its behaviors, they wouldn't regard it as as a public safety risk.

I have four young children in the house and I also own and keep a gila monster in a locked Boaphile cage. In contrast, I have chosen NOT to get our kids a trampoline because of my fear of their safety and the safety of their neighborhood friends; but I have, relatively speaking, much less concern about their safety with regard to our Gila Monster.

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