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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent female lion saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone critical oral operation to remove a badly decayed fang caused by an abscess.

Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The procedure was performed on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.

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

"The approach I follow is animal dental problems should be addressed in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he said.

The expert explained that as Lira no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

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

The curator, manager at the facility, declared the operation was a "total triumph."

She noted the staff had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" 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 toxins 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 significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.