Jodie Foster the snake gets world-first cancer treatment

A snake almost killed by a cancerous tumour has been saved after what's been called a world-first treatment - originally for humans.

A 15-foot-long reticulated python at Chester Zoo - named Jodie Foster after the Hollywood star – had already undergone surgery for a malignant fibrosarcoma when it later returned and began invading her jawbone.

Ian Ashpole, a veterinary officer at the zoo who carried out the treatment, 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.

"We were facing the possibility of losing her as the tumour made it more and more difficult for her to eat."

Alongside cancer specialists at the University of Liverpool, the zookeepers decided to treat Jodie with electrochemotherapy.

According to Mr Ashpole, "this is the first time it's ever been used" for a snake.

Jose Alvarez Picornell, of the university's department of Small Animal Clinical Science, added that it's an "emerging treatment" for animals.

In an improvised treatment, Jodie was anaesthetised in her own habitat before being carried to the zoo's veterinary centre.

Mr Ashpole said that the python is so big, "we had to put two operating tables together, effectively making one the size of a double bed".

He then removed the tumorous mass and removed part of Jodie's diseased jawbone before electrochemotherapy was administered to target any remaining cancerous cells.

The treatment combines the cancer drug bleomycin with a series of carefully controlled electrical pulses delivered directly to the tumour site.

The pulses temporarily make cancer cells more permeable, allowing the drug to enter more effectively, and mean lower doses of chemotherapy can be used – often in a single procedure.

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It's been a success, says Mr Ashpole: "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."

Despite losing part of her jawbone, Jodie's appetite and hunting ability have not been affected, the zoo said.

A final check confirmed she remains free of any signs of the cancer returning, a spokesperson added.

(c) Sky News 2026: Jodie Foster the snake gets world-first cancer treatment