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The Big Cat Sanctuary

An adolescent female lion rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone critical oral operation to extract a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an abscess.

The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March after a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.

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

He thought the dental issue was caused by a trauma sustained more than a year ago, causing germs creating harmful substances within the fang.

"My philosophy is non-human oral health issues should be addressed in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.

Mr Kertesz 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 Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.

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

Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "total triumph."

She noted the staff had spotted "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," added the curator.

The successful surgery represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.