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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old lioness rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone vital oral operation to extract a severely infected fang caused by an abscess.

The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised half a million pounds to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on last week by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the broken tooth was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma experienced over twelve months back, causing germs creating toxins within the fang.

"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.

The expert explained that as Lira no longer required to catch prey, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

Briony Smith, curator at the facility, said the procedure was a "complete success."

She noted the team had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem."

"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added Ms Smith.

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