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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent lioness rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has undergone critical oral operation to extract a severely infected canine tooth caused by an abscess.

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

The Rescue Center

The procedure was carried out on Friday 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," said Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was due to a injury sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria producing harmful substances within the fang.

"The approach I follow is animal dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he explained.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

The curator, curator at the facility, said the operation was a "complete success."

She noted the staff had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.

The successful surgery represents a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.