Rescued from Ukraine Lioness Receives Critical Dental Operation

The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone critical oral operation to remove a badly decayed fang caused by an abscess.

Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery was performed on Friday by 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 highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.

He thought the infection was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating toxins inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained.

The expert clarified that as Lira did not need to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

Briony Smith, manager at the facility, said the procedure 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 removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," added the curator.

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