Saved Ukrainian Lioness Receives Critical Surgery
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old female lion saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone critical dental surgery to remove a badly decayed fang caused by an infection.
Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a campaign by director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The procedure 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 broken tooth was highly inflamed," said the dentist.
He believed the infection was due to a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing germs creating toxins within the fang.
"The approach I follow is animal dental problems need to be treated in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he said.
The expert clarified that as the lioness did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.
He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.
The curator, manager at the facility, declared the procedure was a "complete success."
She noted the team had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the toxins are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented the curator.
The successful surgery marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.
