Saved Ukrainian Lioness Receives Essential Surgery

A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent lioness saved from conflict-ridden Ukraine has undergone vital dental surgery to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an abscess.

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

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery was carried out on last week 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 damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.

He thought the infection was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating harmful substances within the fang.

"My philosophy is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.

Mr Kertesz explained that as Lira no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, manager at the facility, said the procedure was a "total triumph."

She noted the team had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added the curator.

The successful surgery represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.