Rescued from Ukraine Lion Undergoes Critical Surgery
A Wildlife Rescue Center
An adolescent female lion rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has received vital dental surgery to remove 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 managing director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was performed on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.
He thought the dental issue was due to a trauma sustained more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing toxins within the fang.
"The approach I follow is animal dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.
Mr Kertesz explained that as the lioness did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.
He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
The curator, manager at the facility, said the procedure was a "complete success."
She said the staff had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" 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 infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the coming days," commented the curator.
This vital operation marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.
