đź”— Share this article Rescued Ukrainian Lioness Undergoes 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 saved from war-torn Ukraine has received vital dental surgery to extract a severely infected canine tooth caused by an infection. Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who collected ÂŁ500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions. The Big Cat Sanctuary Two lions, Amani and Lira, were among the animals rescued from Ukraine and brought to the sanctuary 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 right away the damaged fang was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz. He thought the infection was caused by a injury sustained over twelve months back, leading to bacteria producing harmful substances inside the tooth. "My philosophy is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he explained. The expert clarified that as Lira no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution." The Big Cat Sanctuary Lira's extracted lower right canine tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches. He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue. The curator, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "total triumph." She noted the team had spotted "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" 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 out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added the curator. This vital operation marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.