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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent lioness saved from conflict-ridden Ukraine has received vital oral operation to extract a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an infection.

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

The Rescue Center

The surgery was performed on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing harmful substances within the fang.

"The approach I follow is animal dental problems should be addressed in the safest, 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 said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from under the fang and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He also performed a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

The curator, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "complete success."

She noted the staff had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."

"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 coming days," added Ms Smith.

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