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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn the war zone has undergone critical oral operation to remove a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The surgery was carried out on Friday by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the damaged fang was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.

He believed the infection was due to a injury sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria creating toxins within the fang.

"My philosophy is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He also performed a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

The curator, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "total triumph."

She said the staff had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," commented Ms Smith.

This vital operation marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.