🔗 Share this article Saved Ukrainian Lioness Receives Critical Dental Operation The Big Cat Sanctuary Lira the lioness from The Big Cat Sanctuary undergoing critical dental surgery to remove a severely infected lower right canine tooth A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone vital dental surgery to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an infection. Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions. The Big Cat Sanctuary Amani and Lira are two of the big cats from Ukraine that arrived in March The procedure was carried out on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats. "When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated the dentist. He believed the infection was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating harmful substances within the fang. "The approach I follow is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said. Mr Kertesz explained that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution." The Animal Rescue Facility Lira's extracted lower right canine tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz 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 opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue. The curator, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "complete success." She said the team had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem." "The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added Ms Smith. The successful surgery marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.