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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent lioness saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an abscess.

Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The surgery was performed on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was severely infected," stated the dentist.

He believed the infection was due to a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to germs creating toxins within the fang.

"The approach I follow is animal dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he said.

The expert explained that as Lira no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and close 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.

The curator, manager at the facility, said the operation was a "complete success."

She noted the team had spotted "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

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