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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical oral operation to remove a severely infected canine tooth caused by an infection.

The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a campaign by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma experienced over twelve months back, leading to bacteria producing harmful substances inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he explained.

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

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary reported the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

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 facility, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."

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

"The lioness will be somewhat sore 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," commented Ms Smith.

This vital operation represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.