Eight red panda cubs, including a set of triplets, were presented to the public on Wednesday in an effort to seek sponsors at the Panda World Research Center in Fuzhou, in south China's Fujian Province, the Strait News reports.

Workers show the red panda cubs to the public at the Panda Research Center in Fuzhou, in south China's Fujian Province on Wednesday, September 10, 2008. [Photo: fjcns.com]

Ten panda cubs – including two sets of triplets, a pair of twins, and two others - were born in the last two months; however two did not survive, an official at the research center said.

This is the fifth consecutive year that the center has seen the birth of red panda triplets.

Four of the cubs found sponsors after being presented on Wednesday.

The Red Panda is a mostly herbivorous mammal. Although it prefers to feed on bamboo, just like the Giant Panda, it's not a bear and is more like a raccoon. Currently, there are estimated to be less than 2,500 mature red pandas remaining in the wild.

The Fuzhou Panda World Research Center, well known for raising and researching giant pandas, is home to more than 30 Red Pandas.

Workers show the red panda cubs to the public at the Panda Research Center in Fuzhou, in south China's Fujian Province on Wednesday, September 10, 2008. [Photo: fjcns.com]

(CRI September 11, 2008)