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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent female lion rescued from war-torn the war zone has received critical dental surgery to extract a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an infection.

The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, 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 Mr Kertesz.

He thought the infection was due to a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing bacteria producing harmful substances inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is animal dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.

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

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a pocket of pus 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.

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

She said the team had spotted "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was."

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added the curator.

This vital operation represents a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.