WATCH: rare fossa triplets spotted in UK's Chester Zoo weeks after birth

Rare fossa triplets have emerged from their den after being born at the UK's Chester Zoo.

The 12-week-old pups began to venture outside after remaining tucked away for their first few weeks of life.

The tiny carnivores are the first of their kind to ever be born at the zoo in its 91-year history.

The triplets are made up of one male and two females and haven't yet been named by zookeepers.

Fossa can only be found on the island of Madagascar where as few as 2,600 remain.

Zoo experts are working in Madagascar to protect and restore habitats after mass deforestation on the island.

A distant relative of the mongoose, the fossa is a slender, cat-like mammal that's only found in the forests of Madagascar.

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The rare carnivore is equipped with a long tail that helps it balance when leaping amongst the tree branches, as well as large eyes that help it to see better at night when hunting for prey such as lemurs, wild pigs and mice.

The fossa is highly threatened as a result of widespread habitat loss in Madagascar.

Scientists report that the island has already lost up to 90% of its forests, which means that many species are now on the very brink of extinction.

The world's authority of the state of nature, The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), lists the fossa as vulnerable to extinction.