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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn the war zone has undergone critical oral operation to remove a severely infected canine tooth caused by an infection.

Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a trauma experienced over twelve months back, leading to germs creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "complete success."

She noted the team had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was."

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," commented the curator.

This vital operation represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.