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A Wildlife Rescue Center

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

Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery was carried out on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a injury sustained more than a year ago, causing bacteria creating harmful substances within the fang.

"The approach I follow is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he said.

The expert explained that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from under the fang and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

The curator, curator at the facility, declared the operation was a "total triumph."

She said the team had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."

"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," commented Ms Smith.

This vital operation marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.