3:41pm UK, Saturday October 11, 2003

Visitors to a zoo in New York are now seeing triple when they visit the panda enclosure.

Baby red panda triplets have made their public debut at the Rosamond Gifford zoo in Syracuse.

Red pandas

The 15-week-old triplets, which weigh just over three pounds each, had been exploring their new home for brief periods over the past few weeks before going on show.

Red pandas are an endangered species, with fewer than 2,000 in the wild.

The zoo's officials say that red panda triplets are extremely rare.

Most births result in twin cubs - with only a 50-50 chance of survival.

However, the New York cubs, which were born in captivity, are expected to do well in their new surroundings.