Bhubaneswar, Jan. 13: The air was festive and the birthday babes appeared to be in an unusually playful mood. As the cheer went up and the cake was cut, Ankita, Asha and Subhashree even obliged the shutterbugs by striking “wild” poses. Nandankanan Zoo celebrated as the three tiger cubs turned one today.

Making their first public appearance, the three sisters sashayed into enclosure 32 (A) along with their mother Sara as kids sang Happy Birthday for them. The big cats gorged on the four pieces of whole dressed chicken laid out for each of them and the little visitors were treated to chocolate cake.

“This is the first time that I am attending the birthday party of the tigers. They look majestic,” said nine-year-old Sonali, jumping and clapping at the sight of the Royal Bengal tiger siblings.

Chief wildlife warden J.D. Sharma cut three cakes near the enclosure festooned with balloons and flowers. The trio were born to Rishi, a white tiger, and tigress Sara on January 13 last year and had been christened by schoolchildren last October through a lottery.

This was the first time in the last 10 years that tiger cubs born in the zoo were put up for public display. “Though they are just one-year old, they look very big and beautiful,” said Shobha, a seven-year-old girl from Bhadrak.

At present, the cubs are fed six kilograms of buffalo meat, but their diet will be increased gradually. The quantity of buffalo meat will be raised to 12 kilograms when they turn three.

Zoo officials appeared happy at the turnout of visitors today. “We are also glad that all three cubs have managed to survive, which is not usually the case with the first litter of tiger cubs,” said a senior official.

Sources said that of the 23 times tiger litters were born in the zoo, they have survived only five times. On November 2011, all five newborns of tigress Priyanka died in less than a week’s time as the mother rejected them.

The state government has ordered an inquiry into the deaths. Taking a lesson from that incident, zoo authorities had this time installed closed-circuit television cameras to monitor the delivery of Sara, now 7, and kept a round-the-clock watch on the cubs from a distance. Apprehending rejection from their mother, the zoo authorities had procured Royal Canine Milk, a specialised milk from Calcutta, to feed Ankita, Asha and Subhashree. At present, the tiger population at the zoo stands at 24. Authorities of Nandankanan, which has been witnessing a steady growth in visitors, said the tigers would now become the centre of attraction.

The zoo attracted more than 24.5 lakh visitors in 2011-12 and earned revenue of Rs 5.69 crore.

On his 31st birthday last September film star Chandan Kar had adopted a one-year-old tiger cub, Bijaya, as part of the zoo adoption programme. One is required to pay Rs 1 lakh for adopting a White Tiger, a Royal Bengal tiger or a lion for a period of one year which can be extended by renewal.