🔗 Share this article Rescued from Ukraine Lion Undergoes Essential Surgery The Big Cat Sanctuary A lioness named Lira receiving essential dental care to extract a badly infected tooth A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has received critical dental surgery to remove a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess. Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine. The Rescue Center Amani and Lira are two of the big cats from Ukraine that arrived in March The procedure was carried out on last week by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines. "Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz. He believed the infection was due to a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to bacteria producing toxins within the fang. "My philosophy is non-human dental problems should be addressed in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained. Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira no longer required to catch prey, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution." The Big Cat Sanctuary Lira's extracted lower right canine tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close 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, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "total triumph." She noted the team had spotted "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult 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 coming days," commented Ms Smith. This vital operation marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.