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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has received vital oral operation to extract a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an infection.

Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March after a campaign by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The surgery 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 immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," said the dentist.

He believed the dental issue was due to a trauma experienced more than a year ago, leading to bacteria creating toxins within the fang.

"My philosophy is animal dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

The rescue center said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

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 Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "complete success."

She said the staff had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.

The successful surgery marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.