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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn the war zone has received vital dental surgery to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an infection.

The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The procedure was performed on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," said Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma sustained more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing toxins within the fang.

"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.

The expert explained that as Lira no longer required to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

The curator, curator at the facility, said the procedure was a "complete success."

She noted the staff had observed "a small lump 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 infectious materials are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented the curator.

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