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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn the war zone has received critical dental surgery to remove a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an infection.

The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a fundraising effort by 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 performed on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the broken tooth was severely infected," said Mr Kertesz.

He thought the infection was caused by a trauma experienced over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating harmful substances within the fang.

"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained.

Mr Kertesz explained that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

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

She noted the team had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "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 coming days," commented Ms Smith.

This vital operation marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.