đź”— Share this article Saved from Ukraine Lioness Undergoes Critical Surgery The Big Cat Sanctuary A lioness named Lira receiving essential dental care to extract a badly infected tooth A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical dental surgery to extract a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess. The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on 14 March after a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions. The Rescue Center Two lions, Amani and Lira, were among the animals rescued from Ukraine and brought to the sanctuary The surgery was performed on Friday by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats. "Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist. He believed the dental issue was due to a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to germs creating toxins inside the tooth. "The approach I follow is animal oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and safest way," he said. Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira no longer required to catch prey, removal was the most "logical and humane option." The Big Cat Sanctuary Lira's extracted lower right canine tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long The sanctuary reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures. He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue. Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "total triumph." She said the staff had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem." "Lira will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented the curator. The successful surgery marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.