Rescued from Ukraine Lion Undergoes Critical Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn Ukraine has undergone vital oral operation to extract a severely infected fang caused by an infection.
Lira arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a campaign by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The procedure was performed on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.
He thought the dental issue was due to a trauma sustained over twelve months back, causing germs creating harmful substances within the fang.
"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he said.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira did not need to hunt for food, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and close the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.
He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
The curator, curator at the facility, said the operation was a "total triumph."
She said the staff had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," added the curator.
The successful surgery represents a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.
