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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical dental surgery to extract a severely infected fang resulting from an abscess.

The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a campaign by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The procedure was performed on last week by veterinary 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 broken tooth was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was due to a trauma experienced over twelve months back, causing germs creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

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

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

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

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 procedure was a "total triumph."

She said the team had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."

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

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