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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent lioness saved from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical oral operation to extract a badly decayed fang resulting from an abscess.

The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following 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 an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," stated the dentist.

He believed the infection was caused by a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating toxins within the fang.

"My philosophy is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.

Mr Kertesz explained that as Lira no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

He also performed a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, manager at the facility, declared the operation was a "total triumph."

She said the team had spotted "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "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 the curator.

The successful surgery marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.