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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent female lion saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has received critical oral operation to extract a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who raised half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery was carried out on Friday 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 damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma sustained more than a year ago, leading to germs creating harmful substances within the fang.

"My philosophy is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness did not need to catch prey, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract 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 opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

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

She noted the team had spotted "a small lump 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 begin with, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented the curator.

This vital operation marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.