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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has received vital oral operation to remove a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

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

The Rescue Center

The surgery was carried out on Friday by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.

He believed the infection was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, causing germs producing harmful substances within the fang.

"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness did not need to hunt for food, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

He also performed a root canal treatment 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 noted the team had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "how serious the condition was."

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.

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