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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent lioness saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has received vital dental surgery to extract a severely infected fang caused by an abscess.

Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was carried out on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the broken tooth was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing toxins inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.

The expert explained that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close 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.

The curator, curator at the facility, said the procedure was a "complete success."

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

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

This vital operation represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.