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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an abscess.

The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 after a campaign by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who raised half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The surgery was carried out on last week 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 severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was due to a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing bacteria producing harmful substances inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.

Mr Kertesz explained that as Lira did not need to hunt for food, removal 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 the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He also performed a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

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

She said the team had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was."

"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," commented Ms Smith.

This vital operation represents a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.