A 15ft (4.5-metre) reticulated python at Chester Zoo has become the first snake believed to have received electrochemotherapy, a cancer treatment commonly used in human and veterinary medicine. The 23-year-old python, named Jodie Foster, was suffering from a recurring malignant fibrosarcoma in her jaw that had begun invading the jawbone and making it increasingly difficult for her to eat. Following collaboration between Chester Zoo vets and cancer specialists at the University of Liverpool, the treatment has left Jodie cancer-free several months later.
Why Did the 15ft Python Need Cancer Treatment?
Jodie Foster’s health problems became apparent when zoo keepers noticed that she was eating less and spending longer periods inactive in her enclosure. Veterinary examinations subsequently identified a fibrosarcoma, a malignant tumour, in her jaw.
The tumour was initially removed surgically in 2024. However, the cancer later returned and began affecting the surrounding jawbone. The recurrence created a serious problem because the tumour was interfering with Jodie’s ability to eat.
For a reticulated python, which relies on its large, flexible jaws to capture and swallow prey, damage to this part of the body can have severe consequences. Zoo veterinary officer Ian Ashpole said the team feared they could lose Jodie because the tumour was making feeding increasingly difficult.
What Is Electrochemotherapy and How Was It Used?
Electrochemotherapy combines a cancer drug with controlled electrical pulses delivered to the tumour site. In Jodie’s case, vets used bleomycin alongside electrical pulses designed to temporarily increase the permeability of cancer cells.
The process allows the drug to enter the targeted cancer cells more effectively. Electrochemotherapy is an established treatment option within veterinary oncology, and the University of Liverpool’s Small Animal Teaching Hospital lists it alongside surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy among its cancer treatment services.
What made Jodie’s treatment unusual was not simply the use of electrochemotherapy, but its adaptation for a large reptile. Chester Zoo and University of Liverpool specialists believe it is the first time the procedure has been used on a snake.
How Was the World-First Snake Operation Carried Out?
The procedure presented several practical challenges because of Jodie’s size and physiology. At about 4.5 metres long, she was too large for a conventional operating table.
Vets therefore pushed two operating tables together to create a platform roughly the size of a double bed. Jodie was initially anaesthetised in her habitat before being carefully transported to the zoo’s veterinary centre.
Maintaining her body temperature was another important consideration. As a reptile, Jodie’s body temperature is influenced by her environment, so the veterinary team used heated blankets and warmed air during the operation.
The procedure lasted about 90 minutes. Vets removed the recurrent tumour along with part of the diseased jawbone before applying electrochemotherapy to target cancer cells that might have remained after surgery.
What Was the Outcome of Jodie’s Cancer Treatment?
The treatment appears to have produced a successful outcome. Months after the procedure, Jodie is eating normally and has returned to her usual behaviour, including striking, gripping and swallowing food.
A final veterinary check carried out this week found no signs that the cancer had returned. The zoo has described Jodie as cancer-free and back to her “bright and feisty” self.
Despite part of her jawbone being removed, the surgery has not prevented the python from feeding. Her continued ability to hunt and swallow is particularly significant because reticulated pythons can use their highly flexible jaws to consume prey considerably larger than their heads.
The successful recovery also means Jodie can continue living at Chester Zoo while being monitored for any future signs of disease.
What Did Veterinary Experts Say About the Treatment?
Ian Ashpole, the Chester Zoo veterinary officer who carried out the procedure, said the recurrence of the tumour meant surgery alone was unlikely to provide a sufficient solution.
He said the team worked with cancer specialists to determine whether electrochemotherapy could be adapted for a snake, describing the procedure as the first known use of the treatment in one.
Jose Alvarez Picornell, from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Science, said the outcome demonstrated the value of collaboration between veterinary and cancer specialists.
He said the team intends to formally publish details of the procedure so veterinary professionals internationally can learn from the approach and potentially develop it further.
That planned publication will be important because the treatment of reptiles can involve different physiological and practical considerations from the treatment of mammals. A detailed clinical account could therefore provide useful information for veterinary teams caring for snakes and other reptiles.
Could This Change Cancer Treatment for Other Reptiles?
The case could have implications beyond a single patient, although it is too early to conclude that the procedure will become a standard treatment for snakes.
Electrochemotherapy has already been used in veterinary medicine, and reports indicate that other reptiles, including turtles and lizards, have received the treatment. However, Jodie’s case represents a significant step in applying the technique to a snake.
The importance of the case lies partly in its demonstration that treatments developed or refined for human oncology can sometimes be adapted for animals when conventional veterinary options are insufficient.
However, further cases and clinical evidence would be needed before conclusions could be drawn about its wider effectiveness in snakes. Factors such as tumour type, location, animal size, health and response to treatment would all need to be considered.
Why Does Jodie’s Treatment Matter for Veterinary Medicine?
Jodie’s recovery highlights the increasingly specialised nature of modern zoo veterinary medicine. Caring for long-lived animals can require sophisticated diagnostic techniques, surgery and cancer therapies that were once largely associated with human medicine.
The University of Liverpool already provides electrochemotherapy as part of its wider veterinary oncology service, illustrating how cancer treatment has expanded across animal medicine.
For zoos, successful treatment can also have wider conservation and welfare implications. While Jodie is not an endangered species, the experience gained from treating a large reptile could contribute to knowledge that may eventually benefit other captive animals, including species of conservation concern.
What Happens Next for the 15ft Python?
Jodie will continue to be observed by Chester Zoo’s veterinary and animal-care teams following the successful procedure. The immediate outlook is encouraging, with normal feeding and behaviour reported and no evidence of recurring cancer at the latest check.
The veterinary team is also expected to publish a formal account of the treatment. That documentation could allow other specialists to assess the procedure, understand how it was adapted for a snake and consider whether similar approaches could be appropriate in future cases.
Jodie Foster’s case is therefore more than an unusual veterinary story. It represents a rare example of human cancer treatment being adapted to meet the needs of a large reptile, while demonstrating the potential value of cooperation between zoo veterinarians and specialist cancer clinicians. Further monitoring and publication of the clinical findings will determine how significant the world-first procedure ultimately becomes for veterinary oncology.
