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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old lioness rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone vital oral operation to remove a badly decayed fang caused by an abscess.

Lira 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 fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on last week by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.

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

He believed the infection was caused by a injury experienced more than a year ago, leading to germs creating toxins inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained.

The expert explained that as Lira did not need to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

The curator, curator at the facility, said the procedure was a "complete success."

She said the staff had spotted "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented Ms Smith.

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