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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has received vital dental surgery to extract a severely infected fang resulting from an infection.

The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The surgery was carried out on last week by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.

He thought the infection was caused by a injury sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria creating toxins 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 explained.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

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

She noted the staff had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "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 begin improving over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.

The successful surgery represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.