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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent lioness rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone vital oral operation to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an infection.

Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The procedure was carried out on last week by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.

He thought the infection was due to a trauma sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria producing harmful substances within the fang.

"The approach I follow is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.

The expert explained that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and close 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, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "complete success."

She said the staff had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem."

"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

This vital operation marks a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.