Rescued Ukrainian Lion Receives Essential Surgery
A Wildlife Rescue Center
An adolescent female lion rescued from war-torn the war zone has undergone vital oral operation to extract a badly decayed fang resulting from an infection.
The lioness arrived at The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 following a campaign by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who raised half a million pounds to support her and several other lions from Ukraine.
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The procedure was performed on Friday by veterinary 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 experienced more than a year ago, causing germs producing toxins inside the tooth.
"My philosophy is animal dental problems should be addressed in the most predictable, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.
Mr Kertesz clarified that as the lioness no longer required to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."
The Animal Rescue Facility
The sanctuary reported the removed fang was 3.14 inches in length, with the dentist having to remove a pocket of pus from under the fang and close the large wound with seven dissolving sutures.
He also performed a dental procedure on the corresponding top fang, which was also found to be infected.
Briony Smith, curator at the facility, declared 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 determine "how serious the condition was."
"The lioness will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the infectious materials are out of her body, she will start to feel much better over the coming days," commented the curator.
This vital operation marks a significant step in the lioness's healing process after her arrival from the conflict area.
