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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital oral operation to extract a badly decayed fang resulting from an infection.

Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a fundraising effort by managing 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 veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, leading to germs producing harmful substances inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is non-human dental problems should be addressed in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he said.

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

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary reported the removed fang 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 also performed a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

The curator, manager at the facility, said the operation was a "total triumph."

She said the staff had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible 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 begin improving over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

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