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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical oral operation to remove a severely infected fang caused by an infection.

The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery was performed on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," said the dentist.

He believed the infection was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria creating toxins within the fang.

"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 the lioness did not need to hunt for food, 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 pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

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

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

She noted the staff had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."

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

This vital operation represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.