A zoo in southern China celebrated the birth of the world's first known surviving panda triplets, a rare event for the endangered, bamboo-loving bears.
The mother, Juxiao, gave birth to the trio on July 29, but the Chimelong Safari Park only announced what they called the "miracle" birth on Wednesday (Aug. 13), for fear the triplets might not make it. Panda cubs have an "extremely high" mortality rate, the zoo said in a statement.
Single and twin births are common among pandas, but triplets are considered rare, said Christina Simmons, a representative of the San Diego Zoo Global, the conservation organization that operates the San Diego Zoo.