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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old female lion saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has received vital dental surgery to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an abscess.

Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a campaign by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," stated the dentist.

He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma experienced more than a year ago, causing germs producing harmful substances inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.

The expert clarified that as Lira did not need to hunt for food, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He also performed a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

The curator, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "complete success."

She noted the staff had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore 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.

The successful surgery marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.