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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has received critical dental surgery to remove a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an abscess.

Lira 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 several other lions from Ukraine.

The Rescue Center

The surgery was performed on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.

He thought the infection was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria producing harmful substances within the fang.

"My philosophy is animal dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.

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

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The sanctuary reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

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

She said the staff had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the next few days," added the curator.

This vital operation represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.