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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old female lion saved from conflict-ridden the war zone has undergone critical oral operation to extract a badly decayed fang resulting from an infection.

The lioness was brought to The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a fundraising effort by director the sanctuary's leader, who raised half a million pounds to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

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 immediately the damaged fang was severely infected," stated Mr Kertesz.

He believed the dental issue was due to a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing germs producing toxins inside the tooth.

"My philosophy is non-human dental problems need to be treated in the most predictable, the least invasive and most secure manner," he explained.

Mr Kertesz explained that as Lira no longer required to hunt for food, extraction was the most "sensible and ethical solution."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The sanctuary said the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from beneath the tooth and seal the significant opening with multiple absorbable stitches.

He additionally conducted a root canal treatment on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was also found to be infected.

The curator, manager at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the operation was a "total triumph."

She noted the staff had spotted "a small lump on the lioness's face" but it had been impossible to determine "how serious the condition was."

"Lira will be somewhat sore to initially, but now that the toxins are out of her body, she will start to feel much better 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.