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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 badly decayed canine tooth caused by an infection.

The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March after a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery was performed on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a trauma experienced more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing harmful substances within the fang.

"The approach I follow is animal dental problems need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained.

Mr Kertesz explained that as Lira no longer required to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center 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 large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

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

She said the team had spotted "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added the curator.

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