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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion saved from conflict-ridden Ukraine has received vital oral operation to extract a severely infected fang caused by an infection.

Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery was carried out on last week by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the broken tooth was severely infected," stated the dentist.

He believed the infection was caused by a trauma experienced more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing harmful substances inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.

The expert explained that as Lira did not need 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 the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from under the fang and close 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, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."

She said the staff had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to assess "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added the curator.

The successful surgery marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.