Dabao, an 11-year-old female golden monkey in Beijing Safari Park, gave births to twin cubs Monday, a source with the safari park said on Tuesday.  

A noted wildlife expert with the park said the possibility of the birth of twin golden monkeys averages one per 10,000, and it was the first ever pair of twin golden monkeys born in China.

The twin golden monkeys weigh some 0.5 kilograms each, and are 20 centimeters tall, said keepers in the park. They were breast-fed by their mother Dabao.

In order to help Dabao produce more milk, park keepers have prepared nutritious food, such as Chinese dates, powder milk, walnut and peanut, for the dame monkey.

A rare animal species in the world, the golden monkeys, which have been listed under priority state protection in China, are inhabited mainly in mountainous areas in Sichuan, Gansu, Shaanxi and Hubei provinces. There are currently about 5,000 golden monkeys worldwide.

(Xinhua News Agency April 14, 2004)