Saved Ukrainian Lioness Undergoes Essential Dental Operation

The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has received vital dental surgery to extract a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an infection.

The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was carried out on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.

He believed the dental issue was due to a trauma experienced more than a year ago, leading to 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 most secure manner," he said.

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

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary reported the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, curator at the facility, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."

She noted the team had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness 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 Ms Smith.

This vital operation represents a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.