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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent lioness rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has received critical dental surgery to remove a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an infection.

The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March after a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The procedure was performed on Friday by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, 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 injury experienced more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing toxins inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center 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 seal the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

The curator, manager at the facility, said the procedure was a "complete success."

She said the team had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

The successful surgery marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.