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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old lioness rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone vital oral operation to extract a badly decayed fang resulting from an abscess.

The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

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

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," said Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria producing toxins within the fang.

"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained.

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

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

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

Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "total triumph."

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

"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," commented Ms Smith.

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