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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn Ukraine has received critical oral operation to remove a severely infected fang caused by an abscess.

The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The procedure was performed 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 damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.

He believed the infection was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, leading to germs creating toxins within the fang.

"My philosophy is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he said.

The expert clarified that as the lioness did not need to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

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 also performed a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."

She noted the team had observed "a minor swelling 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 removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added Ms Smith.

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