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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone critical dental surgery to extract a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, causing germs creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is non-human dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he said.

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 reported the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

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

Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "complete success."

She said the team had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to determine "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," added the curator.

The successful surgery marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.