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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent female lion rescued from conflict-ridden Ukraine has undergone critical oral operation to remove a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an abscess.

The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The surgery 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 severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.

He thought the infection was caused by a trauma sustained over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating toxins inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is animal dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he said.

The expert clarified that as the lioness did not need to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.

He also performed a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

The curator, manager at the facility, declared the procedure was a "total triumph."

She said the team had spotted "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."

"The lioness 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 next few days," commented the curator.

The successful surgery marks a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.