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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a badly decayed fang caused by an abscess.

The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery was performed 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 highly inflamed," said the dentist.

He believed the infection was due to a injury experienced more than a year ago, leading to germs producing toxins within the fang.

"My philosophy is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.

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

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

He also performed a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "total triumph."

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

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added the curator.

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