A 15-foot python has made an impressive 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 50-kilogram (110-pound) reticulated python, named after Hollywood star Jodie Foster, lives at Chester Zoo in England’s northwest. Keepers first became concerned for Jodie, aged 23, when her appetite declined and her activity dropped, the zoo said in a press release Friday.
Tests revealed Jodie had a fibrosarcoma – a malignant tumor – in her jaw, which was removed with surgery but later returned and began to invade her jawbone.
The zoo’s veterinary team collaborated with cancer specialists at nearby University of Liverpool to adapt an emerging treatment called electrochemotherapy, readying it for first-time use in a snake.
Now, months after the procedure, Jodie is confirmed cancer-free and back to her “bright and feisty” self.
