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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone critical oral operation to remove a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was carried out on Friday by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the broken tooth was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.

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

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

The expert explained that as the lioness did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

He also performed a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, manager at the facility, said the procedure was a "complete success."

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

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

This vital operation marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.