🔗 Share this article

The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn Ukraine has undergone vital oral operation to remove a severely infected canine tooth caused by an abscess.

The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery was carried out on Friday by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a injury sustained more than a year ago, causing bacteria creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.

Mr Kertesz explained that as the lioness did not need to catch prey, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

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

The curator, curator 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 impossible to assess "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 begin improving over the next few days," commented Ms Smith.

The successful surgery marks a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.