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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to remove a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an infection.

The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was carried out on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.

He thought the infection was caused by a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing germs producing toxins within the fang.

"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.

The expert explained 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 extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal 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.

Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "complete success."

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

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

This vital operation marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.