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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has received critical oral operation to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an abscess.

Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

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

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the damaged fang was severely infected," said the dentist.

He thought the dental issue was due to a injury sustained over twelve months back, leading to germs producing toxins inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is animal dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.

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

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

Briony Smith, curator at the facility, declared the procedure was a "complete success."

She noted the staff had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," commented the curator.

This vital operation marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.