Saved from Ukraine Lion Undergoes Essential Surgery
The Big Cat Sanctuary
An adolescent lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone vital dental surgery to remove a badly decayed canine tooth caused by an infection.
Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected half a million pounds to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The surgery was performed on Friday by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"When I examined the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the broken tooth was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.
He thought the infection was due to a injury sustained over twelve months back, causing bacteria creating toxins within the fang.
"The approach I follow is non-human oral health issues need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative 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
The rescue center said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.
He also performed a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "complete success."
She noted the team had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to determine "the extent of the problem."
"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added Ms Smith.
The successful surgery marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.