Rescued Ukrainian Lioness Undergoes Critical Surgery

The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old female lion saved from conflict-ridden Ukraine has received critical oral operation to remove a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March after a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on last week by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, 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," said Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, causing germs producing 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 explained.

The expert explained that as the lioness did not need to catch prey, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary reported the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He also performed a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, curator at the facility, said the operation was a "complete success."

She noted the staff had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was."

"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 next few days," added Ms Smith.

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