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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn Ukraine has undergone vital oral operation to remove a badly decayed fang caused by an abscess.

Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," said the dentist.

He thought the infection was caused by a injury experienced more than a year ago, leading to germs producing harmful substances within the fang.

"The approach I follow is non-human dental problems should be addressed in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he explained.

The expert clarified that as Lira did not need to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary reported the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "complete success."

She noted the team had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to assess "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness 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," added the curator.

This vital operation represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.