Rescued from Ukraine Lioness Undergoes Essential Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
An adolescent female lion rescued from war-torn the war zone has undergone critical dental surgery to extract a severely infected fang resulting from an infection.
Lira was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The surgery was performed on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the broken tooth was severely infected," stated the dentist.
He believed the infection was caused by a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing germs creating harmful substances within the fang.
"The approach I follow is animal dental problems should be addressed in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.
The expert explained that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The sanctuary reported the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.
He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
Briony Smith, manager at the facility, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."
She noted the staff had spotted "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "how serious the condition was."
"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins 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 rescue from Ukraine.
