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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has received vital oral operation to extract a severely infected fang resulting from an abscess.

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

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the broken tooth was highly inflamed," said the dentist.

He thought the dental issue was due to a injury experienced more than a year ago, leading to germs producing toxins within the fang.

"My philosophy is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira no longer required to catch prey, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary 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 close the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

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

She noted the staff had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness 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," added the curator.

The successful surgery marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.