Archive · 21 Aug 2026
Python Jodie Foster Successfully Receives First Snake Cancer Treatment
Jodie Foster is a very large snake living at Chester Zoo.
She developed cancer in her jaw, which made eating difficult.
Doctors removed the tumour and some damaged jawbone.
Because the cancer came back before, they also tried a treatment normally used for people.
This treatment uses medicine and gentle electrical pulses to attack cancer cells.
The operation took 90 minutes.
Two tables were joined together so Jodie could fit on them.
Now she can strike, grip and swallow chickens normally.
Tests found no signs that the cancer has returned.
Jodie Foster, a 23-year-old reticulated python at Chester Zoo, developed a malignant jaw tumour.
The tumour returned after surgery and began damaging part of her jawbone.
Vets removed the tumour and diseased bone during a 90-minute operation.
They then used electrochemotherapy, combining bleomycin with controlled electrical pulses.
Follow-up tests found no cancer, and Jodie is eating and behaving normally.
- Who
- Jodie Foster, a 23-year-old reticulated python, was treated by Chester Zoo veterinarians working with cancer specialists at the University of Liverpool.
- What
- She underwent tumour and partial jawbone removal followed by electrochemotherapy for a recurring malignant jaw tumour.
- When
- The tumour was first surgically removed in 2024; after it returned, Jodie received the adapted treatment, with a final follow-up reported this week.
- Where
- Chester Zoo in Cheshire, England, United Kingdom.
- Why
- The returning tumour was damaging her jawbone and making it increasingly difficult for her to eat, while vets believed surgery alone might not be sufficient.
- Animal
- Jodie Foster, a 15-foot (4.5-metre) reticulated python
- Age and weight
- 23 years old and approximately 50 kilograms
- Diagnosis
- Fibrosarcoma, a malignant tumour in the jaw
- Treatment
- Tumour and part of the diseased jawbone removed, followed by electrochemotherapy
- How it works
- Bleomycin is combined with controlled electrical pulses that temporarily make cancer cells more permeable
- Procedure
- A 90-minute operation using two joined operating tables
- Outcome
- Follow-up testing found no signs of returning cancer; Jodie is eating whole chickens and behaving normally
