What's cuter than baby arctic foxes? Why, panda triplets of course... arguably.
Yesterday, the Chimelong Safari Park of Guangzhou unveiled three panda cubs born on Tuesday 29 July. The panda breeders delayed the announcement until they were certain the babies would survive.
Given the panda's low reproductive rate, the triple-birth has been considered a miracle. The mother, Juxiao gave birth to the only panda triplets in the world to have ever survived. Juxiao was impregnated in March with sperm from a panda living at a Guangzhou zoo, as part of China's artificial breeding program.
The triplets are only the fourth known to have been born in the world through artificial breeding programs, but their chances of survival are not clear.
The triplets are under observation in an incubator
The triplets were born within four hours of each other and currently weigh between 230 grams and 333 grams.
Experts say that due to the high mortality rates among baby pandas, the triplets will only be labeled as having 'survived' once they're 6 months old.
Mommy Juxiao caresses one of her little ones
The sex of the babies has not been revealed and they are yet to be named publicly.
Presently, only about 1,600 of the critically endangered species still exist in the wild. Most of China's pandas are in captivity, with a large number of them in breeding programs.
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