Rescued Ukrainian Lion Receives Essential Surgery
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old female lion saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a severely infected canine tooth caused by an abscess.
The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Rescue Center
The procedure was carried out on Friday by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.
He believed the dental issue was due to a injury experienced over twelve months back, leading to bacteria producing toxins within the fang.
"My philosophy is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.
Mr Kertesz explained 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 said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.
He also performed a root canal treatment on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "complete success."
She said the team had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "how serious the condition was."
"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the coming days," added the curator.
This vital operation represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.