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A Wildlife Rescue Center

A three-year-old lioness rescued from conflict-ridden the war zone has received vital oral operation to remove a severely infected canine tooth caused by an abscess.

Lira arrived at a wildlife sanctuary in Kent, England on March 14 after a campaign by managing director the sanctuary's leader, who raised £500,000 to support her and four other rescued lions.

The Rescue Center

The surgery was performed on Friday by dentist an experienced animal dentist, who has treated about 450 big cats.

"When I examined Lira's jaw and mouth, I could see immediately the broken tooth was highly inflamed," stated the dentist.

He thought the infection was due to a injury experienced more than a year ago, causing germs creating toxins inside the tooth.

"The approach I follow is animal oral health issues should be addressed in the safest, the most conservative and safest way," he explained.

The expert clarified that as the lioness did not need to catch prey, extraction was the most "logical and humane option."

The Animal Rescue Facility

The rescue center reported the extracted tooth was 8cm (3.14 inches) long, with the dentist having to remove a accumulated infection from under the fang and seal the large wound with multiple absorbable stitches.

He also performed a dental procedure on the opposing upper canine tooth, which was discovered to have a similar issue.

Briony Smith, curator at The Big Cat Sanctuary, declared the procedure was a "complete success."

She said the team had observed "a minor swelling on Lira's jawline" but it had been impossible to assess "the extent of the problem."

"Lira will be a little uncomfortable to initially, but now that the infectious materials are removed from her system, she will begin improving over the next few days," added the curator.

The successful surgery marks a major milestone in Lira's recovery after her rescue from Ukraine.