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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has received vital dental surgery to remove a badly decayed fang resulting from an abscess.

Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The surgery was performed on Friday by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

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

He believed the infection was caused by a trauma experienced more than a year ago, leading to germs creating toxins within the fang.

"The approach I follow is animal dental problems need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

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

Briony Smith, manager at the facility, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."

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

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," commented the curator.

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