🔗 Share this article Rescued Ukrainian Lioness Undergoes Essential Dental Operation The Big Cat Sanctuary 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 female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a badly decayed fang caused by an infection. Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions. The Rescue Center Amani and Lira are two of the big cats from Ukraine that arrived in March The surgery was carried out on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats. "Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated the dentist. He believed the infection was caused by a injury experienced more than a year ago, leading to germs creating toxins within the fang. "The approach I follow is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained. The expert clarified that as Lira no longer required to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution." The Big Cat Sanctuary The removed fang measured 8 centimeters, equivalent to 3.14 inches The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus 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, manager at the facility, said the operation was a "total triumph." She said the team had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem." "The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," added Ms Smith. This vital operation represents a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.