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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has received critical oral operation to remove a severely infected fang caused by an abscess.

Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.

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.

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," said the dentist.

He believed the dental issue was caused by a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating 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 explained.

The expert clarified that as Lira no longer required to catch prey, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center reported the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

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

The curator, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "complete success."

She noted the team had spotted "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "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 start to feel much better over the next few days," added the curator.

The successful surgery marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.