Rare Lion and Tiger 'sisters' celebrate 1st birthday

JACKSON, N.J. (WTXF) - Two extremely rare tiger and lion cubs are celebrating their first birthday at Six Flags Great Adventure.

Siberian tiger cub, Nadya, and African lion cub, Zuri, were raised as "sisters," despite being species that would typically never cross paths in the wild.

Vets at Six Flags stepped in to raise the cubs after their mothers were unable to care for the newborns. Vets say the two cubs were brought together to help their socialization skills.

During their birthday celebration, they took turns devouring their custom meat cakes and exploring the presents safari caretakers wrapped with pink paper.

The two fuzzy cubs weighed around three pounds at birth and now tip the scales at 150 pounds each. Nadya is expected to reach a weight of 400 pounds and Zuri is expected to reach 280 pounds.

Guests can see the cubs on Safari Off Road Adventure in the Tigris Asiana section when the park opens April 1.