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The Big Cat Sanctuary

A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital oral operation to extract a severely infected canine tooth caused by an infection.

The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

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

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," said the dentist.

He thought the infection was caused by a injury sustained over twelve months back, causing germs creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.

The expert clarified that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

He also performed a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

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

She said the team had spotted "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "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," commented Ms Smith.

The successful surgery represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.