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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a badly decayed fang caused by an abscess.

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

The Rescue Center

The surgery was carried out on last week by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.

He believed the infection was caused by a trauma 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 most conservative and most secure manner," he said.

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

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

He also performed a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "complete success."

She noted the team had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added the curator.

The successful surgery represents a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.