Delhi zoo to celebrate first birthday of white tiger cubs

As part of the festivities, the cubs will be provided a meal consisting of red meat, and a ceremonial ‘cake’ will be cut

The Delhi Zoological Park is set to celebrate the first birthday of its two white tiger cubs on Saturday, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

White tiger cubs Avni and Vyom playing in their enclosure at the Delhi zoo in June. (Raj K Raj/HT Photo)

As part of the festivities, the two cubs, named Avni and Vyom, will be provided a special meal consisting of different forms of red meat, and a ceremonial “cake” will be cut by zoo director Akanksha Mahajan in front of the animal enclosure. The white tiger enclosure will also be decorated with cut-outs of the two cubs, which will act as selfie-points, officials said.

“The whole point is to raise awareness regarding tigers and white tigers in particular. A number of school children will be involved in the celebrations, with awareness sessions planned on the day. A cake will be cut to mark the occasion and the cubs will be provided a special meal for their enrichment. We may even play some activities like hide and seek, where we may hide some objects for them to try and find, or pull out of the ground,” said Mahajan.

White tigers are white as they lack the pigment pheomelanin, which gives Royal Bengal tigers their distinctive orange hue. The Delhi zoo currently has five white tigers — including the two cubs — which are among the most popular animals among visitors.

Another zoo official, declining to be named, said they plan to feed the cubs different forms of red meat, including soup, mashed meat, minced meat and boneless pieces. “We normally feed them in the night shelter at the back of their enclosure, but on Saturday, we may feed them in the open enclosure. Enrichment activities are also planned and visitors can see the two cubs play with each other and other objects,” the official said.

Avni and Vyom were born on August 24 last year to parents Sita, an eight-year-old white tigress, and Vijay, an eight-year-old white tiger. This was the first time in seven years that the zoo successfully bred white tigers. A third cub in the litter died on December 18, after it began limping and its hind portion had limited mobility.

On April 20, the cubs were released in an enclosure for public viewing for the first time by Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav, who also named the cubs. The female cub was named Avni, which means “earth”, while the male cub was named Vyom, which means “universe”.

Incidentally, the cubs’ mother Sita was born during the last successful breeding in 2015, along with four other white tiger cubs.