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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has received vital oral operation to extract a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an infection.

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

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed 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 damaged fang was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.

He believed the infection was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, leading to germs producing harmful substances within the fang.

"My philosophy is animal dental problems should be addressed in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained.

The expert clarified that as Lira did not need to catch prey, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary reported the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "total triumph."

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

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

The successful surgery marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.