Baby White Lion Cub Twins, Niza And Nero, Born After Emergency Procedure (PHOTOS)

With their snowy coats, these baby white lion cubs may seem like the perfect winter present, but the adorable duo almost didn't survive their dangerous and unexpected birth in Germany.

The Daily Mail reports that keepers at the Serengeti Park didn't realize the twins' mother, Brouks, was pregnant until a baby was found at her side, which unfortunately died 48 hours later.

Suspecting more were on the way, staff rushed the mother lion with a police escort to Veterinary University in nearby Hanover. After a Caesarian procedure that lasted seven hours, the two cubs Nero and Niza came out alive on December 2.

After 15 days in intensive care, the cubs are now off the critical list.

According to the Global White Lion Protection Trust, no white lions have been spotted in the wild since 1994.

Check out photos of the cute white lion twins below.

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White lion babies Niza (L) and Nero play with a stuffed animal on December 15, 2010 in Hodenhagen, northwestern Germany. The twins were born by Caesarean on December 2, 2010 and are bottle-fed until they can be acclimatized in the lions' family living at the Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen. (JOCHEN LUEBKE/AFP/Getty Images)

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White lion babies Niza (L) and Nero play with a stuffed animal on December 15, 2010 in Hodenhagen, northwestern Germany. The twins were born by Caesarean on December 2, 2010 and are bottle-fed until they can be acclimatized in the lions' family living at the Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen. (JOCHEN LUEBKE/AFP/Getty Images)

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Comments

[axt113]

10:48 AM on 12/24/2010

Quit your lion HP!

[Susan Ferguson]

03:26 PM on 12/21/2010

what happened to the mama ?

[SukiTheCat]

08:06 AM on 12/21/2010

now that I've seen this, i can die

[axt113]

10:48 AM on 12/24/2010

Lion down to death?

[mamacat]

04:13 AM on 12/21/2010

I dare that fellow to let the lion chew on his nose a year from now.

[Bellanova]

06:14 PM on 12/19/2010

See this beautiful and moving (and short!) video showing a man interacting with a lioness and her cubs (a happy blended family):
http://www.wimp.com/lionesstrust/

[Oldbull 56]

05:39 AM on 12/19/2010

Way too cute, good that the mother survived, excellent photos!

[lisakaz2]

04:38 PM on 12/18/2010

Awwwwww. They looked like toys (stuffed animals), not even real. I think I had one of those once.

[BannedNBoston]

01:42 PM on 12/18/2010

I want to raise one;
Got too many skunks in my neighborhood....

http://morphcity.com/agenda-21/environment/wildlands

[ResearchGroups2010]

10:55 AM on 12/18/2010

Oh no! Now he's tasted human flesh!

[one1byke]

09:36 PM on 12/17/2010

"Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming."

[lilianna123]

06:18 PM on 12/17/2010

So adorable!

[mapleaforever]

05:52 PM on 12/17/2010

Cub or otherwise, these are truly elegant creatures.

[emphatico]

05:37 PM on 12/17/2010

What about their mother, by the way? She's been killed?

[Beowolf741]

12:16 AM on 12/18/2010

If you follow the "The Daily Mail reports" you'll read that the mother survived the C-section but doesn't realize she is a mom cause of the sedation.

[emphatico]

05:26 PM on 12/17/2010

Enjoy the show now 'cause they ain't gonna get any cuter. They'd soon become like their parents.

[shel3364]

05:58 PM on 12/17/2010

Yep, they will become beautiful graceful creatures...

[SukiTheCat]

02:40 PM on 12/21/2010

truly!

[Dukedraven]

05:24 PM on 12/17/2010

It's hard to believe this cute, cuddly animal will turn into a fierce top-of-the-chain predator one day.

[m1jones]

11:50 PM on 12/18/2010

No - the top of the chain is occupied by humans. We were once cute babies ourselves. Then we grow up and start killing each other and other species as well.

[Chlowina]

12:07 AM on 12/19/2010

damn shame too.