Jodie Foster, a 23-year-old reticulated python living at Chester Zoo, has become the first snake in the world to undergo electrochemotherapy—an innovative cancer treatment designed for humans.
The 4.5-meter-long, 50-kilogram reptile was diagnosed with a malignant tumor (fibrosarcoma) on her jaw. Despite surgical resection, the disease recurred shortly after and began destroying her jawbone. The bone damage made eating so difficult that her life was at risk.
Since repeated surgery alone was insufficient, zoo veterinarians and oncologists from the University of Liverpool decided to adapt electrochemotherapy for snakes. Due to the python’s extraordinary size, the medical team had to push two operating tables together to perform the 90-minute procedure. During the surgery, veterinarians removed the tumor mass along with part of the damaged bone before applying electrochemotherapy to target the remaining cancer cells.
This method combines a chemotherapy drug (bleomycin) with precisely controlled electrical pulses. The electrical impulses temporarily increase the permeability of the cancer cells, enabling targeted and highly effective drug penetration into the tissue.
A follow-up examination conducted several months after treatment confirmed no signs of recurrence. Zoo representatives reported that the python has returned to her usual energetic self and is feeding without difficulty. The clinical team plans to publish details of this unique procedure in scientific literature so the global veterinary community can apply the innovative technique in the future.
