MAINZ, Germany -- Germany's adorable twin baby polar bears were caught on camera Tuesday as they opened their eyes for the first time.
Zoo officials are thrilled that the cubs and their mother Giovanna, aged seven, have thrived since being at born at Munich's Hellabrunn Zoo last month.
"Polar bears are quite small at birth and are at more risk of dying in the first weeks than nearly any other mammal," biologist Beatrix Koehler told NBC News on Wednesday.
Experts feared that Giovanna, a first-time mom, could be overwhelmed with her tasks – a severe threat to the life of her tiny newborns, who were estimated to weigh only around 400 grams each at birth.
"We closely monitored whether she warmed the two cubs adequately, had enough milk and whether the little ones found the feeding source immediately," said Koehler, who has been working at the Munich zoo for 30 years. "All of them did very well."
The arrival of the two mammals on Dec. 9 was also filmed with the three cameras in the enclosure, believed to be the first polar bear births captured in color.
"The two rascals now even voice their anger with very loud screaming when they fight over the milk source or step on each others heads," Koehler added.
Zoo officials say that the twins have not been given names yet because the gender of the two cuddly newcomers could not yet be determined.
"We cannot enter the compound because the three cannot be disturbed, so veterinarians will not be able to examine the two before they go outside for the first time, most likely in March," zoo spokeswoman Christiane Reiss said.