Rescued from Ukraine Lioness Receives Critical Surgery
The Big Cat Sanctuary
An adolescent female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has received critical dental surgery to remove a severely infected fang caused by an infection.
Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The procedure was carried out on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.
He thought the dental issue was due to a injury sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria producing toxins inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he said.
Mr Kertesz explained that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The rescue center said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.
He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, curator at the facility, said the operation was a "complete success."
She said the team had spotted "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to determine "how serious the condition was."
"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added Ms Smith.
This vital operation represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.
