đź”— Share this article Saved Ukrainian Lion Receives Critical Surgery A Wildlife Rescue Center Lira the lioness from The Big Cat Sanctuary undergoing critical dental surgery to remove a severely infected lower right canine tooth A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has received critical oral operation to extract a severely infected fang resulting from an infection. The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised ÂŁ500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine. The Rescue Center Two lions, Amani and Lira, were among the animals rescued from Ukraine and brought to the sanctuary The procedure was performed on last week by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats. "When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the damaged fang was severely infected," said Mr Kertesz. He thought the dental issue was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing toxins inside the tooth. "The approach I follow is animal dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he explained. Mr Kertesz explained that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution." The Big Cat Sanctuary Lira's extracted lower right canine tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long The sanctuary said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from under the fang 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. Briony Smith, curator at the facility, said the procedure was a "total triumph." She said the staff had spotted "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to determine "the extent of the problem." "Lira 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," commented the curator. The successful surgery represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.