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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old lioness saved from conflict-ridden Ukraine has undergone critical oral operation to extract a severely infected fang caused by an abscess.

Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after 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 an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.

He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma sustained more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing toxins inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.

The expert explained that as Lira no longer required to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

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

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

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

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

The successful surgery marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.