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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent female lion rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has received critical dental surgery to remove a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The surgery was performed on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

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

He thought the dental issue was due to a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is animal dental problems 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 hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "complete success."

She said the team had spotted "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."

"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added the curator.

This vital operation represents a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.