Rescued Ukrainian Lion Receives Essential Surgery
A Wildlife Rescue Center
An adolescent lioness saved from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital dental surgery to remove a severely infected canine tooth caused by an infection.
The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a campaign by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised £500,000 to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The surgery was performed on last week by dentist Peter Kertesz, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"When I examined 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 due to a trauma sustained over twelve months back, leading to germs creating toxins within the fang.
"The approach I follow is animal dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the most conservative and most secure manner," he explained.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The rescue center said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to extract a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.
He also performed a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, said the operation was a "complete success."
She noted the team had observed "a minor swelling on the lioness's face" but it had been difficult to assess "the extent of the problem."
"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will begin improving over the next few days," commented the curator.
This vital operation marks a major milestone in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.
