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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent lioness rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The surgery was performed on Friday by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was caused by a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating toxins within the fang.

"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.

The expert explained that as the lioness did not need to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

He also performed a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

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

She noted the staff had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "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," added Ms Smith.

The successful surgery marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.