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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone critical dental surgery to extract a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery was carried out on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," stated the dentist.

He thought the infection was caused by a injury experienced more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing harmful substances 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 the lioness did not need to hunt for food, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

The curator, manager at the facility, declared the operation was a "total triumph."

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

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," added the curator.

The successful surgery represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.