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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has received vital oral operation to extract a badly decayed fang caused by an infection.

The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The surgery 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 right away the broken tooth was severely infected," stated the dentist.

He thought the infection was due to a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing germs creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is animal dental problems need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

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

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

She noted the staff had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to determine "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," commented the curator.

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