Saved from Ukraine Lion Undergoes Essential Dental Operation
The Big Cat Sanctuary
A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to extract a badly decayed canine tooth resulting from an infection.
Lira was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a fundraising effort by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who collected half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The procedure was carried out on last week by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting the lioness's oral cavity, I could see right away the broken tooth was highly inflamed," said the dentist.
He believed the dental issue was caused by a injury sustained more than a year ago, leading to bacteria creating harmful substances within the fang.
"My philosophy is non-human dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.
The expert clarified that as Lira did not need to catch prey, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.
He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
Briony Smith, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "total triumph."
She said the team had observed "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to determine "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 start to feel much better over the next few days," added the curator.
The successful surgery represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.
