Rescued from Ukraine Lioness Undergoes Critical Surgery

The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent female lion saved from conflict-ridden Ukraine has received critical dental surgery to extract a badly decayed fang resulting from an infection.

Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was carried out on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the broken tooth was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing germs creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

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

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness did not need to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

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

The curator, manager at the facility, said the procedure was a "total triumph."

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

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented the curator.

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