Overview
- Keepers first flagged reduced appetite and inactivity and vets removed a jaw fibrosarcoma in 2024 before the tumour returned and invaded the jawbone.
- In a 90‑minute operation this year the team performed a hemimandibulectomy and then applied electrochemotherapy, a technique that uses bleomycin plus controlled electrical pulses to let the drug enter cancer cells more effectively.
- The procedure required practical improvisation for a 15‑ft, 50kg patient: Jodie was anaesthetised in her habitat, two operating tables were pushed together and heated blankets and warmed air were used to maintain body temperature.
- A follow‑up in August 2026 found no signs of recurrence and Jodie is eating normally and behaving “bright and feisty” despite losing part of her jawbone.
- The zoo and University of Liverpool plan to publish full procedural details so other veterinarians can assess reproducibility and safety and consider the technique alongside earlier ECT reports in other reptiles.