A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn the war zone has undergone critical oral operation to remove a badly decayed fang resulting from an abscess.
Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Rescue Center
The surgery was carried out on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.
He thought the infection was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, causing germs producing harmful substances inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he said.
The expert clarified that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The sanctuary reported the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a pocket of pus 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, manager at the facility, declared the operation was a "complete success."
She said the staff had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," commented the curator.
The successful surgery marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.
