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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital oral operation to remove a severely infected canine tooth caused by an abscess.

The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a campaign by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was carried out 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 damaged fang was highly inflamed," said the dentist.

He believed the infection was caused by a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing germs creating toxins inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is animal dental problems need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he explained.

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

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "total triumph."

She noted the staff had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added the curator.

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