BHUBANESHWAR: It was tigers’ day out at Nandankanan Zoological Park, Orissa, on Friday. Sending out a strong cat conservation message, zoo authorities celebrated the birthday of three white tigers in a unique way.

They organised a special function to mark the 4th birthday of Rishi, Sitesh and Prachi, who were born white to Bengal tigers Rohit and Shailaja on July 3, 1999. Quite unlike their first offspring, Rebati.

Tourists, including schoolchildren, thronged the zoo to witness the event. The children had received special invites from the birthday cubs, which read: “Invitation from tigers of Nandankanan Zoological Park, who are celebrating their third birthday.”
“We offered chicken breakfast to the cubs,” zoo director Ajit Pattnaik said.  

Their birthday gift was “enclosure furniture”, including a wooden bench where the cubs could sit and enjoy the morning sun. And their lunch, goat heads stuffed with fresh buffalo meat.

Principal chief conservator of forest SS Srivastav cut the two-kg cake amid colourful candles and balloons.

The zoo authorities showered the three white tiger cubs with clean water. Their enclosures were also decorated with flowers. Attractive happy birthday banners were put up outside their enclosures and at the main entrance of the zoological park underlining the need for tiger conservation.

“To create awareness about the declining tiger population and highlight the need for conservation of the white tiger, we decided to celebrate the birthday in a unique way,” Pattnaik said.

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