Rescued from Ukraine Lion Undergoes Critical Dental Operation
A Wildlife Rescue Center
An adolescent lioness rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone vital oral operation to extract a severely infected canine tooth resulting from an abscess.
The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a campaign by director the sanctuary's leader, who collected £500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The procedure was carried out on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, 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 Mr Kertesz.
He thought the dental issue was caused by a injury sustained more than a year ago, leading to bacteria producing toxins inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is non-human dental problems should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he said.
Mr Kertesz explained that as Lira did not need to catch prey, removal was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The sanctuary said the removed fang was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a pocket of pus from under the fang and seal the significant opening with seven dissolving sutures.
He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "total triumph."
She noted the team had spotted "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was."
"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to begin with, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the next few days," added the curator.
This vital operation represents a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.
