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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent lioness saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone vital oral operation to extract a severely infected fang caused by an abscess.

The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was due to a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing bacteria producing harmful substances inside the tooth.

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

The expert explained that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

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

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

She noted the staff had spotted "a small lump 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 infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented the curator.

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