Rescued Ukrainian Lion Undergoes Critical Dental Operation

Lira the lioness undergoing dental surgery — Lira the lioness from The Big Cat Sanctuary undergoing critical dental surgery to remove a severely infected lower right canine tooth

A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone critical dental surgery to remove a badly decayed fang resulting from an abscess.

Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

Amani and Lira at the sanctuary — Two lions, Amani and Lira, were among the animals rescued from Ukraine and brought to the sanctuary

The surgery was carried out on last week by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was due to a trauma experienced more than a year ago, leading to bacteria creating toxins within the fang.

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

The expert clarified that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

Lira's extracted tooth — The removed fang measured 8 centimeters, equivalent to 3.14 inches

The rescue center said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

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 said the team had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to determine "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added Ms Smith.

This vital operation marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.