🔗 Share this article

A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to remove a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an infection.

The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to germs creating harmful substances within the fang.

"The approach I follow is non-human dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.

The expert explained that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, removal 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 under the fang and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

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

She noted the team had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was."

"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 coming days," added Ms Smith.

This vital operation represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.