Rescued from Ukraine Lioness Receives Essential Dental Operation
The Big Cat Sanctuary
A three-year-old lioness saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an abscess.
The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March after a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised half a million pounds to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The surgery was carried out on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.
He thought the infection was caused by a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing bacteria producing harmful substances within the fang.
"The approach I follow is animal dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he said.
The expert clarified that as the lioness no longer required to hunt for food, removal was the most "logical and humane option."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The sanctuary said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz 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 also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "complete success."
She noted the team had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."
"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented Ms Smith.
This vital operation marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.
