'Miraculous' panda triplets in stable condition

China on Tuesday revealed that a set of "miraculous" new born panda triplets and their mother are in stable condition, so far the only known triplet cubs to have survived.

The 12-year-old mother panda, named Juxiao, meaning "smile of the chrysanthemum," gave birth to the triplets on July 29 in Guangzhou Chimelong Safari Park, Guangdong Province, in a period of almost four hours.

She was too exhausted afterward to take care of the babies and the cubs were transferred to incubators, said the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP), the world's largest panda research institute in Ya'an, Sichuan Province.

Juxiao has fully recovered and started to nurse the babies. Professional feeders have been monitoring their health condition around the clock.

The zoo said that the babies are adorable and have grown to 230.6 grams, 245.3 grams and 333.4 grams respectively.

They are the second set of triplets in CCRCGP history and the fourth in the artificial breeding history of captive pandas. The animal has an extremely low reproduction rate and the survival rate for multiple births is also low.

Juxiao also gave birth to a set of twins in 2010. The triplets will be sent to CCRCGP if they make it to four years old.

"We can only say they are surviving once they reach six months. For now they are indeed the only surviving triplets," said an official surnamed Zhao from the Wolong National Nature Reserve, in Sichuan, reported AFP.

The CCRCGP has made several breakthroughs to overcome the three major obstacles in the breeding of pandas, inclduing difficulties in going into heat, pregnancy and the survival of cubs.

The center had reproduced 225 cubs by the end of 2013, out of which 197 survived, with more coming this year.