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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion saved from conflict-ridden Ukraine has undergone critical dental surgery to remove a severely infected canine tooth caused by an abscess.

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

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," said the dentist.

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

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

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

The curator, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "complete success."

She said the staff had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to determine "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.

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