Panda triplets were born to a proud mother in Guangzhou’s Chimelong Safari Park in China, officials announced Tuesday.
The Associated Press reported that the baby pandas were born on July 29, and are the only panda triplets currently in existence. Because panda infant mortality rates are very high, park officials say they delayed announcement until they knew that the pandas were likely to survive.
Twitter lit up upon the news, with thousands sharing images of the pinkish babes. The rare triplets were born within 4 hours of each other, and range from 8 ounces to 12 ounces.
The mother, Juxiao, which means "chrysanthemum smile," was exhausted after birthing the first two but managed to lick them all clean before they were whisked away to an incubator to be warmed. After Juxiao recovered, her babies were brought back to nurse.
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"It was a miracle for us and [the births] exceeded our expectations," said the zoo's general manager, Dong Guixin,
according to The Guardian (UK). "It's been 15 days. They have lived longer than any other triplets so far."
12-year-old Juxiao was originally paired with the triplets' 17-year-old father, Linlin, in September of last year, and China celebrated when the famously sex-shy pandas successfully mated.
"[W]e made them neighbors so they could see each other and get familiarized with things such as smell. Juxiao also had to do more exercise to strengthen herself ," said Dong Guixin.
The first known panda triplets ever recorded were born in 1999, but the youngest of the three died within days of a bladder infection.
There are approximately 1,600 pandas in the wild today, mostly in south-western China.
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