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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old lioness saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has received vital oral operation to remove a badly decayed fang caused by an infection.

Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on last week by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.

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

He believed the infection was caused by a injury sustained more than a year ago, leading to bacteria 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 least invasive and safest way," he said.

The expert explained that as the lioness did not need to catch prey, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

The curator, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "total triumph."

She said the team had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" 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 the curator.

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