15ft python named after Jodie Foster saved by human cancer treatment at Chester Zoo
- Posted on August 21, 2026
- By The Independent
- 1 Views
- 1 min read
In brief
A 15-foot reticulated python named Jodie at Chester Zoo has become the world's first snake to successfully undergo electrochemotherapy, a groundbreaking cancer treatment adapted from human medicine. Weighing 50kg, the 20-year resident underwent the innovative procedure in collaboration with University of Liverpool specialists after a tumor threatened her jawbone. Following months of recovery, Jodie now thrives cancer-free, demonstrating the remarkable potential of cross-species medical advancement in exotic animal care.
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15ft python named after Jodie Foster saved by human cancer treatment at Chester Zoo
A 15-foot python named after Hollywood star Jodie Foster has made a full recovery after becoming what is believed to be the first snake in the world to receive a pioneering cancer treatment usually used in humans. The 50kg reticulated python who came to Chester Zoo 20 years ago, underwent electrochemotherapy after a cancerous tumour returned following surgery and began invading her jawbone. Working alongside cancer specialists at the University of Liverpool, the zoo’s veterinary team adapted the treatment for use in a snake for the first time. Months after the procedure, Jodie is cancer-free, eating normally and back to her usual "bright and feisty" self. With no operating table built for a python of Jodie's size, keepers and vets improvised. She was anaesthetised in her own habitat before being carefully carried to the zoo’s veterinary centre.
