🔗 Share this article

A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent female lion rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone critical dental surgery to extract a badly decayed fang caused by an abscess.

Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March after a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The surgery was performed on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

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

He thought the infection was due to a trauma sustained over twelve months back, causing germs producing toxins inside the tooth.

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

The expert clarified that as Lira no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

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

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

She said the staff had spotted "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible 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 next few days," added Ms Smith.

This vital operation represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.