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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has received vital oral operation to extract a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an infection.

The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," said the dentist.

He thought the dental issue was due to a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating toxins within the fang.

"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he said.

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

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

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

Briony Smith, curator at the facility, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."

She said the staff had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to assess "how serious the condition was."

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," added the curator.

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