đź”— Share this article Rescued Ukrainian Lion Receives Critical Dental Operation A Wildlife Rescue Center Lira the lioness from The Big Cat Sanctuary undergoing critical dental surgery to remove a severely infected lower right canine tooth A three-year-old lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone vital oral operation to extract a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an infection. The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March after a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who raised half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine. The Rescue Center Amani and Lira are two of the big cats from Ukraine that arrived in March The surgery was performed on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines. "When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the damaged fang was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz. He thought the dental issue was caused by a injury sustained more than a year ago, causing germs producing harmful substances within the fang. "The approach I follow is animal dental problems should be addressed in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said. The expert explained that as Lira no longer required to hunt for food, removal was the most "logical and humane option." The Animal Rescue Facility The removed fang measured 8 centimeters, equivalent to 3.14 inches The sanctuary said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches. He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected. Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "total triumph." She said the team had spotted "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was." "Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented Ms Smith. This vital operation marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.