Fangs a lot! Sick snake called Jodie Foster given human cancer therapy

Published: 00:05, 21 August 2026 | Updated: 00:05, 21 August 2026 A python called Jodie Foster has become the first snake in the world to undergo a cancer treatment used on humans. Vets at Chester Zoo say the 15ft-long reptile is back to her 'bright and feisty self' after electrochemotherapy for a tumour on her jawbone. For the 90-minute procedure, two operating tables had to be put together to make a space the size of a double bed. The 23-year-old reticulated python was named after Oscar-winner Ms Foster when she arrived at the zoo two decades ago and staff saw the initials JF, for juvenile female, on her paperwork. In 2024 she had a tumour removed, but the growth returned last year.  In the procedure the tumour and part of her jawbone were removed before electrochemotherapy was administered to target any remaining cancerous cells. Ian Ashpole, a vet at Chester Zoo, said: 'We were facing the possibility of losing her as the tumour made it more and more difficult for her to eat, so we worked with cancer specialists to see whether we could adapt electrochemotherapy for a snake. 'As far as we're aware, this is the first time it's ever been used on one.'  A python called Jodie Foster has become the first snake in the world to undergo a cancer treatment used on humans Vets at Chester Zoo say the 15ft-long reptile is back to her 'bright and feisty self' after electrochemotherapy for a tumour on her jawbone A final check this week found no signs that the cancer had returned.  She is now back in her habitat and eating normally, including swallowing whole thawed chickens. Dr Ashpole said: 'Seeing her back to her normal bright and feisty self has been incredibly rewarding. 'A few months ago, we genuinely didn't know whether she'd survive. 'Now she's eating normally, exploring her habitat and behaving exactly as we'd hope.' Tests revealed a fibrosarcoma, a malignant tumour affecting connective tissue, in her jaw. Vets initially removed the growth, but it returned and began invading the surrounding bone. Dr Ashpole said: 'When the tumour came back and started destroying part of her jawbone, we knew more surgery on its own probably wasn't going to be enough.' Jodie recently celebrated her 23rd birthday and has lived at Chester Zoo for 20 years Jodie can now be found inside the zoo's Realm of the Red Ape area Jodie was anaesthetised inside her habitat before being carried to the zoo's Animal Health Centre. There was no conventional operating table large enough for her, forcing the team to push two together. Dr Ashpole said: 'She is so big we had to put two operating tables together, effectively making one the size of a double bed. 'We used heated blankets and warmed air to keep her body temperature stable throughout the operation. 'After 90 minutes of surgery, she recovered remarkably quickly.' Dr Ashpole removed the mass and carried out a hemimandibulectomy, taking away the diseased section of Jodie's lower jaw. Electrochemotherapy was then used to target any cancerous cells remaining around the operation site. The treatment combines the chemotherapy drug bleomycin with controlled electrical pulses. In the procedure the tumour and part of her jawbone were removed before electrochemotherapy was administered to target any remaining cancerous cells The pulses temporarily make cancer cells more permeable, allowing the drug to enter them more effectively and potentially enabling lower doses to be used. Jose Alvarez Picornell, from the University of Liverpool's Department of Small Animal Clinical Science, said: 'The success of this treatment is a testament to the power of collaboration. 'By working closely with Ian, we were able to develop a plan that not only benefited Jodie Foster but will also contribute to the wider veterinary community. 'We will be formally publishing details of the procedure so veterinary colleagues around the world can learn from and build upon our approach.' Despite losing part of her jawbone, Jodie continues to strike, grip and swallow food without difficulty. Reticulated pythons have highly flexible jaws connected by stretchy ligaments, allowing them to swallow prey considerably wider than their heads. They are native to south and southeast Asia.   Dr Ashpole added: 'By bringing together zoo vets and cancer specialists, we've been able to use a treatment developed for people to save an animal in a way that's never been done before. 'One day we're treating a tiny frog that weighs just a few grams, the next we're carrying a 15ft python into theatre.' Jodie recently celebrated her 23rd birthday and has lived at Chester Zoo for 20 years. Keepers named her after spotting the initials 'JF' on her paperwork, which stood for 'juvenile female'. They decided it also suited the name of Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster, known for Taxi Driver and The Silence of the Lambs. Jodie can now be found inside the zoo's Realm of the Red Ape area.