Saved Ukrainian Lioness Receives Essential Dental Operation

The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent female lion rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has received critical dental surgery to extract a badly decayed fang caused by an infection.

The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a campaign by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The procedure was carried out on Friday by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

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

He thought the dental issue was due to a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing germs producing toxins inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he said.

Mr Kertesz explained that as Lira did not need to hunt for food, 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 remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

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

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

She noted the staff had spotted "a minor swelling 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 out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added Ms Smith.

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