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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a severely infected fang resulting from an infection.

Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on Friday by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," said Mr Kertesz.

He thought the infection was caused by a injury sustained more than a year ago, causing germs producing toxins within the fang.

"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.

Mr Kertesz explained that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

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 close the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

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

The curator, curator at the facility, said the procedure was a "total triumph."

She noted the team had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to determine "how serious the condition was."

"Lira will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented the curator.

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