Three white tigers to celebrate birthday

Bhubaneswar, July 30: Three beloved white tigers of Nandankanan Zoo will celebrate their birthday together for the first time on August one next.

Rishi, Sitesh' and Prachi' will turn 2 on August 1 and celebrate their birthday, a new concept to be introduced on that day by the Nandankanan Zoo authority.

They would be presented with the zoo furniture as a birthday gift, which would be introduced as a part of the enclosure enrichment programme on that day, says Nandankanan Zoo Director Ajit Pattnaik.

The three white tigers, he said, would be groomed with a good bath and a special treat by the animal keepers. As no birthday celebration would be complete without a cake, a specially made cake would be cut in the presence of school children and visitors.

At present 'Rishi', Sitesh' and Prachi' are housed in the newly built enclosure no.20 of Nandankanan Zoo, inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in April this year. They were born to Rohit and Sailaja, normal coloured tigers.

According to Mr Patnaik, after their birth, they stayed with their mother 'Sailaja' for quite sometime. Subsequently, they were isolated from their mother and housed in enclosure no.33A adjacent to their mother's enclosure, for a better interaction.

Few days after their birthday, 'Rishi' and 'Sitesh' were shifted from enclosure no.33A to enclosure no.20 and their sister 'Prachi' was left behind in enclosure No.33A.

But the next day, all three cubs refused their food. as if they were on a hunger strike in protest against their separation. The Zoo authority finding no other way conceded to their demand and brought 'Prachi' to enclosure no. 20 to live with 'Sitesh' and 'Rishi'.

It was a memorable day for all three white tiger cubs, the Zoo Director said, adding all three are living happily and enjoying their new housing which has been enriched with wet moat, a small pond, dining table, greenery and grass carpeting.

'Rishi', 'Sitesh' and 'Prachi' are the second litter of 'Rohit' and 'Sailaja'. Their first litter off-spring 'Rebati' was a normal coloured tigress born on July 3,1999, and is now housed in enclosure no.33A.

UNI