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A Wildlife Rescue Center

An adolescent female lion rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone critical oral operation to extract a severely infected fang caused by an infection.

The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on March 14 following a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The procedure was performed on Friday by veterinary dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.

He thought the dental issue was due to a injury sustained more than a year ago, leading to germs creating harmful substances within the fang.

"The approach I follow is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained.

Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Big Cat Sanctuary

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

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

The curator, curator at the facility, said the operation was a "total triumph."

She noted the staff had spotted "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was."

"The lioness will be somewhat sore to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented Ms Smith.

The successful surgery represents a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.