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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has received critical oral operation to extract a severely infected fang caused by an abscess.

Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March after a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The procedure was carried out on last week 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 severely infected," said the dentist.

He believed the dental issue was due to a trauma sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria creating harmful substances within the fang.

"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary said the removed fang 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 also performed a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

The curator, manager at the facility, declared the operation was a "complete success."

She noted the team had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

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