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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent lioness saved from conflict-ridden Ukraine has undergone critical dental surgery to remove a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an abscess.

The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," stated the dentist.

He believed the infection was caused by a injury sustained over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he said.

The expert clarified that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary reported the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

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

She noted the staff had spotted "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "how serious the condition was."

"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.

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