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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone critical dental surgery to remove a badly decayed fang caused by an infection.

Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The procedure was performed on last week by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.

He thought the infection was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, leading to germs creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.

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

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He also performed a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "total triumph."

She said the staff had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to determine "how serious the condition was."

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added the curator.

This vital operation represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.