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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has received vital oral operation to extract a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The surgery was carried out on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," stated the dentist.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a injury sustained over twelve months back, causing germs producing harmful substances within the fang.

"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira did not need to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He also performed a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

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

She said the team had spotted "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.

The successful surgery represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.