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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to fund 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 treated about 450 big cats.

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

He thought the dental issue was due to a injury sustained more than a year ago, causing bacteria creating toxins inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he explained.

The expert explained that as the lioness did not need to hunt for food, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

The curator, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "complete success."

She noted the team had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented the curator.

This vital operation marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.