15-Foot Python Beats Cancer With Human Treatment in World First

When keepers at Chester Zoo noticed their 23-year-old reticulated python eating less, they discovered a cancerous tumor growing on her jawbone. After surgery removed the growth in 2024, the cancer came back, and staff faced the heartbreaking possibility of losing Jodie Foster.

Veterinarians decided to try something never attempted before. They partnered with cancer specialists from the University of Liverpool to adapt electrochemotherapy for a snake.

The treatment combines a cancer drug called bleomycin with carefully controlled electrical pulses delivered directly to the tumor site. This allows the medicine to work more effectively while using lower doses.

Getting a 15-foot, 40-kilogram python ready for surgery took serious coordination. Staff anesthetized Jodie in her habitat before moving her to the veterinary center, where two operating tables were pushed together to create a space the size of a double bed.

"We used heated blankets and warmed air to keep her body temperature stable throughout the operation," said Ian Ashpole, veterinary officer at Chester Zoo. After 90 minutes of surgery, she recovered remarkably quickly.

The team removed the tumor and part of her jawbone before administering the electrochemotherapy to target any remaining cancerous cells. In a final check this week, vets found no signs of the cancer returning.

The Ripple Effect

This success story reaches far beyond one python. Jose Alvarez Picornell from the University of Liverpool confirmed that details of the procedure will be formally published so veterinarians around the world can learn from the work.

The breakthrough demonstrates how collaboration between zoo medicine and human oncology can create new possibilities for treating animals. What worked for Jodie could now be adapted to help other reptiles facing similar diagnoses.

Jodie's appetite has returned to normal, and zoo footage shows her happily eating a whole chicken. Pythons can unhinge their jaws to swallow prey bigger than their heads, an ability completely unaffected by her surgery.

"A few months ago, we genuinely didn't know whether she'd survive," Dr. Ashpole said. "Now she's eating normally, exploring her habitat and behaving exactly as we'd hope."

The python earned her famous name two decades ago when she arrived at the Cheshire zoo with paperwork marked "JF" for juvenile female, inspiring staff to honor actress Jodie Foster.

Today, she's back to being her bright and feisty self, proving that innovation and compassion can overcome even the most unexpected medical challenges.