Saved from Ukraine Lion Undergoes Essential Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old lioness saved from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical oral operation to extract a badly decayed fang caused by an infection.
Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a campaign by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who raised half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The procedure was performed on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, 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 due to a injury experienced more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing harmful substances inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he said.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, removal was the most "logical and humane option."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.
He also performed a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "total triumph."
She said the staff had spotted "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to determine "the extent of the problem."
"Lira 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," added Ms Smith.
The successful surgery represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.