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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent female lion saved from war-torn Ukraine has received critical oral operation to remove a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

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

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.

He believed the infection was caused by a trauma experienced over twelve months back, leading to germs creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is animal dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center reported the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

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

The curator, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."

She said the staff had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."

"Lira will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.

The successful surgery represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.