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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has undergone critical oral operation to extract a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an infection.

Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery was performed on Friday by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a injury sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria producing harmful substances within the fang.

"My philosophy is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained.

Mr Kertesz clarified 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 reported the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, manager at the facility, declared the procedure was a "complete success."

She noted the staff had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to determine "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

The successful surgery marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.