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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has received critical oral operation to remove a badly decayed fang caused by an abscess.

Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery was performed on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the broken tooth was severely infected," said the dentist.

He believed the infection was due to a injury sustained over twelve months back, leading to bacteria producing toxins inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he said.

The expert explained that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

The curator, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "complete success."

She noted the staff had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem."

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," commented the curator.

This vital operation represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.