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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has received critical dental surgery to remove a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an abscess.

The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," said the dentist.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a injury experienced over twelve months back, causing germs producing harmful substances within the fang.

"My philosophy is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he said.

The expert clarified that as the lioness 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 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz 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 opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

Briony Smith, curator at the facility, declared the operation was a "complete success."

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

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

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