Rescued Ukrainian Lioness Undergoes Essential Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
An adolescent lioness rescued from war-torn the war zone has undergone critical dental surgery to extract a badly decayed fang resulting from an infection.
The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The surgery was carried out on last week by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see right away the damaged fang was highly inflamed," stated Mr Kertesz.
He believed the dental issue was caused by a trauma experienced over twelve months back, causing germs producing 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 "sensible and ethical solution."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The sanctuary reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.
He also performed a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.
The curator, manager at the facility, said the procedure was a "complete success."
She said the staff had spotted "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "the extent of the problem."
"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," added Ms Smith.
This vital operation marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.
