🔗 Share this article

The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old lioness rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has received vital oral operation to remove a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an infection.

Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

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

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was due to a injury experienced over twelve months back, causing bacteria producing harmful substances inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.

The expert explained that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound 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 Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "complete success."

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

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," added Ms Smith.

The successful surgery represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.