Rescued Ukrainian Lion Receives Critical Surgery
A Wildlife Rescue Center
A three-year-old female lion rescued from war-torn Ukraine has received critical oral operation to extract a severely infected fang resulting from an infection.
The lioness was brought to a wildlife sanctuary in Smarden, Kent on 14 March after a fundraising effort by managing director Cam Whitnall, who raised ÂŁ500,000 to fund her and four other rescued lions.
The Rescue Center
The procedure was performed on last week by veterinary dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has cared for hundreds of large felines.
"Upon inspecting Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.
He thought the infection was due to a injury sustained over twelve months back, leading to bacteria creating toxins within the fang.
"The approach I follow is animal dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and safest way," he said.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as Lira no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The rescue center said the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with Mr Kertesz having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.
He additionally conducted a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.
The curator, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "complete success."
She noted the team had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" 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 coming days," added the curator.
This vital operation marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her rescue from Ukraine.
