A Python Named Jodie Foster Becomes the First Snake to Receive Electrochemotherapy
A 15-foot, 50-kilogram reticulated python named Jodie Foster at Chester Zoo is believed to have become the first snake in the world to receive electrochemotherapy, a cancer treatment more commonly used in human medicine. The procedure, carried out at the zoo's veterinary centre, targeted a fibrosarcoma — a malignant tumour — in the snake's jaw. Chester Zoo described the cancer as potentially deadly. Jodie Foster, named after the Hollywood actor, had just turned 23 when the tumour was diagnosed.
The jaw tumour was first removed surgically, but it later returned and began invading the jawbone, which prompted the decision to try electrochemotherapy. Ian Ashpole, a veterinary officer at Chester Zoo, said the zoo worked with cancer specialists to adapt the treatment for use in a snake. He confirmed the procedure is believed to be the first of its kind in any snake. Jose Alvarez Picornell of the University of Liverpool's department of small animal clinical science backed that assessment, stating this was the first time electrochemotherapy had been used in a snake. Picornell added that the details of the procedure would be formally published for veterinary colleagues worldwide.
Electrochemotherapy works by combining a chemotherapy drug called bleomycin with controlled electrical pulses delivered directly to the tumour site. Think of the pulses as temporarily opening tiny doors in the cancer cells' outer walls, allowing the drug to enter far more effectively than it would on its own. The 90-minute procedure required two operating tables pushed together to accommodate the python's length. Jodie Foster was anaesthetised in her own habitat before being carried to the veterinary centre for the operation. The Guardian
A final check confirmed the snake remained free of any signs of the cancer returning. Months after the procedure, she was eating normally and described as 'back to her usual bright and feisty self'. The AFP wire service had distributed an earlier report datelined London on August 20, 2026, reporting that Jodie Foster became the first snake to receive an innovative treatment combining surgery and electrochemotherapy. BSS News
The broader context here is what this case means for veterinary oncology. It establishes a procedural precedent for adapting electrochemotherapy protocols to non-mammalian species. Reticulated pythons pose particular challenges for both anaesthesia and surgery: their size, elongated body shape, and ectothermic physiology — meaning they rely on external heat to regulate body temperature — complicate standard approaches to drug delivery and postoperative monitoring. The collaboration between a zoo veterinary team and university-based small animal clinical scientists reflects a model of cross-disciplinary adaptation that could inform future cancer treatment of reptilian species in zoos and other managed-care environments.
The formal publication of the procedure details, as indicated by Picornell, will allow veterinary practitioners globally to evaluate the protocol's effectiveness and whether it can be reliably reproduced. Fibrosarcomas in reptiles are documented but remain relatively understudied compared to their mammalian counterparts, and treatment options have historically been limited to surgical removal, which carries high recurrence risks when the tumour's edges are hard to clear due to anatomical constraints. The use of bleomycin with electroporation in a jaw tumour context offers a data point for managing cases where surgical margins are difficult to achieve or where invasive recurrence has occurred. Whether the protocol proves viable across a broader range of reptilian species and tumour types will depend on subsequent cases and outcome reporting.
