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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the broken tooth was severely infected," said Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a trauma sustained more than a year ago, causing germs producing toxins within the fang.

"My philosophy is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted 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, said the procedure was a "complete success."

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

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented the curator.

This vital operation represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.