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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical dental surgery to extract a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an infection.

The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a campaign by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds 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.

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," stated the dentist.

He thought the infection was due to a injury experienced more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing toxins within the fang.

"My philosophy is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.

The expert explained that as Lira did not need to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary reported the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

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

She noted the staff had spotted "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added Ms Smith.

This vital operation represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.