A 15-foot reticulated python at Chester Zoo has made a remarkable recovery after veterinarians adapted a cancer treatment for use in a snake — something believed to have never been done before.
The python, named Jodie Foster, developed a malignant tumor in her jaw that returned even after an earlier surgery. As the cancer began invading her jawbone and threatening her ability to eat, veterinarians knew another operation alone might not be enough.
That led Chester Zoo’s veterinary team to collaborate with cancer specialists at the University of Liverpool and attempt an unusual solution: electrochemotherapy.
Months after the procedure, Jodie is eating normally, exploring her habitat and showing no signs of the cancer returning.
Keepers First Noticed Something Was Wrong
The first signs were subtle.
Jodie’s keepers noticed that she wasn’t eating as much as usual and had become less active in her habitat.
Veterinary tests eventually revealed a fibrosarcoma — a malignant tumor affecting her jaw.
Doctors initially removed the tumor surgically, but it later returned. This time, the cancer had begun invading the surrounding jawbone.
For a snake that depends on its jaws to capture and swallow food, the growing tumor presented a serious problem.
Veterinarians at Chester Zoo began looking for another way to stop the cancer.
Turning to an Unusual Cancer Treatment
The zoo contacted specialists from the University of Liverpool, and together the teams developed a treatment plan using electrochemotherapy.
Electrochemotherapy combines a chemotherapy drug with carefully controlled electrical pulses applied to the treatment area.
In Jodie’s case, veterinarians used the cancer drug bleomycin. The electrical pulses temporarily increased the permeability of cancer cells, helping the drug enter those cells more effectively.
According to Chester Zoo, the technique can allow lower doses of chemotherapy to be used while targeting the affected area.
The challenge was that the treatment had apparently never before been performed on a snake.
The veterinary teams had to adapt the procedure specifically for Jodie.
Surgery for a 15-Foot Patient
Treating Jodie presented another unusual problem: her size.
At approximately 15 feet long and weighing around 50 kilograms — about 110 pounds — Jodie was far too large for a standard veterinary operating table.
The team used two operating tables together to create enough room for her.
She was anesthetized in her habitat before being transported to the zoo’s veterinary center. Heated blankets and warmed air were used during the procedure to help maintain her body temperature.
The operation lasted about 90 minutes.
Veterinarians removed the cancerous mass along with part of the diseased jawbone. Electrochemotherapy was then applied to target cancer cells that might have remained in the area.
Back to Eating Normally
Removing part of the jaw of such a large snake raised an obvious concern: Would Jodie still be able to eat normally?
Fortunately, months of observation have shown that her feeding ability has not been noticeably affected.
She has continued to strike, grip and swallow her food successfully.
A follow-up examination reported by Chester Zoo in August found no signs that the cancer had returned.
Jodie is now back to exploring her habitat and behaving much like she did before becoming ill.
Why This Treatment Could Matter Beyond One Python
Jodie’s recovery may have importance beyond her individual case.
Because this is believed to be the first time electrochemotherapy has been used in a snake, the veterinary teams involved plan to formally publish details of the procedure.
That could allow veterinarians and researchers elsewhere to study the technique and potentially build upon what was learned.
Zoo medicine often presents unusual challenges because veterinarians care for animals whose anatomy, size, metabolism and medical needs can be dramatically different from those of common domestic animals.
Jodie’s case required zoo veterinarians and cancer specialists from another field to work together and adapt an existing treatment to an entirely different type of patient.
The result could provide new information for veterinary medicine while giving one very large python another chance.
Meet the Reticulated Python
Reticulated pythons are native to Southeast Asia and are considered the longest snake species in the world.
They are nonvenomous constrictors and are powerful ambush predators. In the wild, they inhabit tropical forests, woodlands and grasslands and are frequently associated with areas near rivers and other bodies of water.
Their diet consists largely of mammals and birds.
Chester Zoo reports that reticulated pythons can reach lengths of up to about 10 meters, although individuals vary greatly in size.
Jodie, at roughly 15 feet long, is impressive even without the unusual medical history she now carries.
A Veterinary First With a Happy Outcome
When Jodie’s cancer returned and began damaging her jawbone, her future was uncertain.
Instead of relying solely on another conventional surgery, veterinarians combined expertise from zoo medicine and cancer treatment to try something that had apparently never been attempted in a snake.
Months later, Jodie is eating, exploring and showing no signs of the tumor returning.
For the veterinary teams involved, the success is more than an unusual animal story.
It is also an example of how techniques developed in one area of medicine can sometimes be adapted to help an entirely different kind of patient.
And in this case, that patient happened to be 15 feet long.
Sources & Further Reading
Chester Zoo — “World’s First Cancer Treatment Saves Python After Tumour Destroys Part of Her Jaw,” August 21, 2026. Primary source for Jodie’s diagnosis, surgery, electrochemotherapy procedure, veterinary comments and recovery.
University of Liverpool — “‘World-first’ Cancer Treatment Saves Python After Tumour Destroys Part of Her Jaw,” August 21, 2026. Source confirming the university’s collaboration with Chester Zoo, details of the electrochemotherapy treatment and plans to formally publish the procedure.
Chester Zoo — Reticulated Python Species Profile — Background information on reticulated python size, habitat, diet, behavior and natural range.