15-Foot Python Beats Cancer With World-First Treatment

When a beloved python stopped eating and became lethargic, her keepers at Chester Zoo knew something was seriously wrong.

Jodie Foster, a 110-pound reticulated python who arrived at the English zoo 20 years ago, had developed a malignant tumor in her jaw. Veterinarians removed it, but another grew back a year later, threatening her ability to eat and survive.

Traditional surgery alone wouldn't be enough this time. The team decided to try something never attempted on a snake before: electrochemotherapy.

The treatment combines chemotherapy drugs with short electrical pulses that make cancer cells more penetrable, allowing better drug absorption. While used in humans since the 1990s and occasionally in cats and dogs, no one had ever tried it on a snake.

The procedure required creativity. Veterinarians pushed two operating tables together to accommodate Jodie Foster's 15-foot body during the 90-minute surgery. Heated blankets and warmed air kept her body temperature stable while she was under anesthesia.

"We placed some chemotherapy medication into the remaining tissue," says Ian Ashpole, a conservation veterinarian at Chester Zoo. "And then we performed the electrochemotherapy, which is where we place some little metal electrodes into the tissue, and we gave them some electric pulses."

The surgery happened in October 2023. Since then, Jodie Foster has made a complete recovery.

Her mouth healed rapidly after the operation. She quickly resumed eating her normal diet and started gaining weight back. Today, she's once again her "bright and feisty" self, according to zoo staff.

The Ripple Effect

This breakthrough treatment is already making waves beyond one python's recovery. Jose Alvarez Picornell, a veterinarian at the University of Liverpool who helped develop the treatment plan, says the team will publish detailed findings so veterinarians worldwide can learn from and build upon their approach.

The procedure not only saved Jodie Foster's life but opened new possibilities for treating cancer in reptiles and other exotic animals. What started as a creative solution for one snake could help countless others facing similar diagnoses.

Jodie Foster continues to thrive at Chester Zoo, a living testament to veterinary innovation and the lengths caregivers will go to save every life in their care.