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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent female lion saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone critical oral operation to extract a severely infected canine tooth caused by an abscess.

The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the broken tooth was severely infected," stated the dentist.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a injury experienced over twelve months back, causing bacteria producing harmful substances inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he said.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness did not need to hunt for food, removal 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 beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

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

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

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

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented the curator.

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