Illustrator Logo Cleanup & Shading

I have the original .ai file for my mascot-style logo. The current artwork shows a small baby lion sitting on the main lion’s belly. I need that baby lion taken out completely, the underlying shape rebuilt, and the gap blended so it looks like the cub was never there.

Please keep every change inside the existing colour palette and apply smooth gradient shading that matches the rest of the illustration—no new colours, no flat fills, and no obvious patchwork.

Deliverables:
• Updated, fully-layered .ai file with the baby lion removed and seamless gradient shading applied
• A transparent-background PNG (3000 px wide) for quick review and socials

Acceptance criteria: the belly area must look continuous at 100% zoom, with shading transitions identical to neighbouring areas; edges stay crisp; file remains compatible with the current Illustrator CC release.