Rescued Ukrainian Lioness Undergoes Critical Surgery
The Big Cat Sanctuary
An adolescent female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has undergone critical dental surgery to remove a severely infected fang resulting from an infection.
The lioness arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March following a fundraising effort by director Cam Whitnall, who collected £500,000 to fund her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was carried out on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has treated about 450 big cats.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the damaged fang was highly inflamed," said Mr Kertesz.
He thought the infection was due to a trauma experienced over twelve months back, causing germs producing harmful substances inside the tooth.
"The approach I follow is animal dental problems need to be treated in the safest, the least invasive and most secure manner," he said.
The expert clarified that as Lira no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from beneath the tooth and close the large wound 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, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the procedure was a "complete success."
She said the staff had observed "a small lump on Lira's jawline" but it had been difficult to determine "how serious the condition was."
"Lira 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 Ms Smith.
The successful surgery marks a significant step in Lira's recovery after her arrival from the conflict area.
