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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old lioness saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has received vital dental surgery to remove a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an infection.

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

The Rescue Center

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

"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was due to a injury experienced over twelve months back, causing bacteria creating harmful substances inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is non-human dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained.

Mr Kertesz explained that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

The curator, manager at the facility, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."

She said the team had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to determine "how serious the condition was."

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.

This vital operation marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.