Vic lion cubs celebrate first birthday

Kito, Kashka and Kubwa have celebrated their first birthday by ripping into colourful cardboard cakes filled with rhino poo at Melbourne's Werribee Zoo.

Nearby the lions' mother Nilo looked on while dad Johari later rolled among the male cubs' discarded boxes.

"The pride then settled down for a good nap in the spring sunshine" Zoo spokeswoman Kim Polkinghorne told AAP.

The three brothers are the first lions born at the zoo and have grown into healthy 80kg cubs.

Discovering new scents - like rhino poo - is essential to help the cubs develop their sense of smell.