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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a severely infected fang caused by an abscess.

The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March after a campaign by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," said Mr Kertesz.

He thought the infection was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, leading to germs producing harmful substances inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is animal dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he explained.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness did not need to hunt for food, removal was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.

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

She said the staff had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

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