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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent lioness rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has received vital oral operation to remove a severely infected fang caused by an infection.

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

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma experienced over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating toxins inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he said.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness did not need to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "complete success."

She noted the staff had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to assess "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented Ms Smith.

The successful surgery marks a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.