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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old female lion saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has received critical dental surgery to extract a severely infected fang caused by an infection.

Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March after a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was due to a trauma sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria producing toxins inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is non-human dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.

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

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the significant opening 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.

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

She said the staff had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."

"Lira will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.

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