Staff at Six Flags Great Adventure have raised a tiger cub and a lion cub together after their respective mothers were unable to care for the newborns. Watch video
JACKSON - Lions and tigers typically never cross paths in the wild, however staff at Six Flags Great Adventure spent the past year raising a Siberian tiger cub and an African lion cub together as "sisters."
Members of the theme park's animal care team recently held a joint birthday party for Nadya, the tiger, and Zuri, the lion, complete with decorations, presents, meat cakes and the singing of "Happy Birthday to You."
The cubs both weighed approximately 3 pounds when they were born in January 2016, and they now weigh about 150 pounds each.
Nadya, who was the first tiger birth at the safari in 13 years, is expected to eventually weight 400 pounds, while Zuri is expected to weight about 280 pounds.
While the safari staff is no longer able to physically interact with the big cats due to their size, strength and natural predatory behaviors, the two cats continue to play, eat and snuggle together.
Dr. Ken Keiffer, a Six Flags veterinarian, said the unique bond between the big cats was formed as the result of a "very unusual situation" that the theme park's animal care team experienced in early 2016.
"Within a week, an African lion and a Siberian tiger gave birth with a single female cub in each litter. These first-time mothers were unable to care for their newborns, so our team stepped in, feeding them up to six times a day and caring for them around the clock," Keiffer said in a release. "To help their socialization skills, we brought these two cubs together and formed one litter."
Six Flags Great Adventure guests can see the cubs on Safari Off Road Adventure in the Tigris Asiana section when the park opens April 1.
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.